h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It should also be noted that in NSW they have a smaller version of the Stubbie it is 250ml and is called a "Throw-Down", they are usually only available for certain brands and are designed for the "quick beer after work" crowd.

Those of us that are real Australians think they are for pooftas who drink so slowly that their beer is always warm. Especially in NSW where it is cold most of the time anyway.

In WA Bottle Shops can be called "Bottlo's" and one with drive through service is called a "Drive Thru".

It should also be noted that when using a "Drive Thru" there are generally two lanes, the one closest to the door or counter is for in-car service, whilst the other is for browsing. You can attract negative attention by holding up the service lane. If in doubt as to which variety of wine to have with your barbie, it is safer to park in the carpark and wander into the store, thirsty Aussies don't like to be seperated from their beer!

Regards

Neil
Broome, Western Australia

And another thing. Slabs are called "Cartons" in WA and you can also get a "Block" or "Box" which contains 30 cans as opposed to the 24 in a carton.

Beer brands are often abreviated so Tooheys Extra Dry becomes "TED", Victoria Bitter becomes "VB" and so on. It is best not to use an abreviated name until you hear someone else do it as some bar staff may just look at you funny or give you the wrong thing, in some areas "TB" is not Tooheys Blue, but Tennants Bitter, neither of which are very popular in most areas.

Neil
Broome, Western Australia

A drive through bottle shop? Surely you’re taking the p*ss?

i can assure you he's not!

I've even worked in one

A drive through, I have had a joke about this with mates back in Dudley, and they say there'll be police waiting at the exit to arrest anyone who purchases from them.

But to actually hear that my idea has already been don in Austrailia, I can't wait to inform my mates about it.

We have them in Canada as well. It wasn't that long ago that it was illegal to have alcohol in the front of the vehicle, it had to be in the back or trunk (boot). Now it's just illegal to have it open.

btw, the classic pubs of old here (in the west, anyway) were establishments where hard working men drank beer in enourmous quantities from 12 oz *schooner* glasses with *plimsol* lines. The tables were small and round, covered with red terry cloth with elastic to hold it in place. The terry cloth could be removed and replaced that way without having too much spilt beer on the table and floor. Beer was usually ordered by the *table* in fact which meant it was full of glasses, usually around 20. There were separate entrances for *Men* and *Ladies With Escorts* (which led to a section of the pub that was raised so the LWEs could look down on the workers). Sadly only a few of these places still exist. Does Australia have any similar odd, old customs?

We used to have the 6 o'clock swill (thankfully way before my time)

All hotels closed at 6 o'clock so all the men (the only women allowed were barmaids)used to throw down as many beers as possible between the end of work and 6pm or however long it took you to finish the ones you ordered at one minute to six.

That is why, if you can find any old bars in Sydney they will have long narrow serving areas, possibly square or horseshoe shaped, so they could fit as many staff behing the bar as possible and as many customers as possible on the other side.

Scary stuff. Once they changed the laws that was when ladies lounges came into existance, usually a room off to the side somewhere where the men would pop their head in every so often from the public bar to see if their wife needed another pimms and lemonade or whatever it was they drank back then.

Sounds civilized.

Did you also have the plimsol lines? Pubs that were short on a pour were soon shunned by those who wanted a full measure for their 20¢ (which is what it cost in 1973 when I had my first legal beer). Most of all I remember jukeboxes to listen to (very rarely live music) and a truly disgusting snack call a *Cubanette*. It was a long bun with mystery meat slices and tomato sauce that was heated up in it's plastic wrapper in a small grill.

I look forward to visiting Australia and discovering your pubs.

i'm not sure about the plimsol line thing, i have seen it on glasses over the years marking the 375ml, but i'm not sure of the usage.

Thankfully no Cubanettes that i know off

Let me know if you do come to Oz - i can point out a few good pubs in Sydney, especially my local, the Carlisle Castle in Newtown and also some in Melbourne.

In fact some of the Sydney h2g2ers have been know to meet at the Carlisle when we have overseas visitors about

In WA (dont know about other states) a number of the names for drink sizes have become redundant. This is speaking from a Perth point of view so if anyone out there thinks differently, let me know.

I doubt you would find a Shetland pony or a pony size drink in a pub these days, and glasses are very rare also. I've never heard of a Pot, always been a Pint to me. Schooners are also become rarer and rarer, which is a shame.

Long-neck bottles of beer can also be called king browns.
Can can be called tinnies (but i dont know why you'd prefer to drink from a can).

On Drive-trus, be careful. The one I work in has two lanes, one for each direction. If you come through the left you'll be fine... we drive on the left side of the road last time i checked... come through the right lane and you may recieve a polite reminder. Park in either lane when its busy and be told in the nicest possible way you're a git (probably by other customers too, just not quite so nicely).

Also on the abbreviations, Swan Draught (WA beer) is often called Super. Dont know why...deffinately better drops around.

Anyone got more info on beers around Australia, as i'll be heading East for a week later in the year and would like to know whats available to "refresh" me after a long day.

There are some good drops around on the east coast. I live in Melbourne so i recommend mainly Melbourne beers but there are a few other good ones around. Firstly Mountain Goat beer is brilliant, brewed in Melbourne have a look at www.goatbeer.com.au. Also Buckley's Beer from outside Melbourne in the Yarra Valley is red hot. You also find that places like Young and Jackson's pub in the city have their own brews. Stay away from the CUB and Lion Nathan beers unless you like drinking mainstream tasteless lager.

How interesting, I had some confusion when we ported in Perth last year, I still say though, austalia has some of the best beer! I only drank beer while I was there and I tried a LOT of it, ohhh... the headaches and agonizing rides back to the ship...

I usually drink Coopers beers, although i am quite partial to a mountain goat beer if i can find it here in Sydney.

I'm not sure if we have great beers, but we have great beer drinking weather, which usually leads to one being somewhat under the weather the next day

I have to laugh at Fosters getting the international reputation as the ultimate Oz beer, though. Kind of like Corona from Mexico when there's much better lager like Sol and even some darker beer like Tres Equis (sp?) that is much better. I understand Macha Bavaria from South America has a similar problem, although I have to admit that even though it's awful beer I haven't tasted any other from there.

you would be hard pressed finding a bar in Sydney that even stocked Fosters.

Actually I am surprised no one picked up on the fact that the Darwin stubbie, isn't infact 1.25 litres, as I have only one of 3 here in Sweden, and am looking at it now, I can happily say it is 2 litres.

Also to the writer from WA Pots are alive and well in Victoria, and are nowhere near the size of a pint.

Drive through bottle shops what is the big deal, we had them since the 70s....the rest of the world might catch up, but it's unlikely

The size of the Darwin stubby has changed over the years, which may explain the size difference you are talking about. I know they made them smaller because the big ones broke too easily.

They are purely a tourist thing anyway, and most locals won't even have heard of them, and certainly don't drink them - and neither should you. NT draught is like a bad fosters, which is a very thing indeed.

To clarify my thoughts on the beer I drank, it was refreshing and fun at the same time, though I only drank from a tap, it was something I dont usually do (drink beer) When I came back I tried some beers, but they seem to lack the quality I was looking in them to duplicate. I have had some really good mixes of beer, we have a Pear and Raspberry Ale that when mixed with a really bitter, or hoppy beer, counter acts the taste to bring a sweet, yet tangy, smooth, and EASY to drink beer.

The beers I had most of in WA were Pills Matilda bay and Red Back, I dont know if those are lower quality or anything, but they were about the best I have tasted to date...

I'm planning to come to Australia this autumn (spring there down under?) and i'd like to know some basic things. How do you order a beer in a bar? There must be several brands and sizes available. I'd like to have first a lager as big as possible. A pint perhaps? How much is that? What other options are there? People here in Finland are always talking about that Foster's, but there must be something mutch better in Austalia, isn't there? I do not like to drink beer thas has been already drunk once.. Any local favorits you could name in the whole continent? How much is a six pack in a store? I prefer cans.

i usually find walking up to the bar and asking for a beer to be the best way

As to size and variety, that will depend on which state you are in really.

I'm a fan of Coopers beers but others would disagree. Being in Sydney i order a schooner.