Aussie Beer Guide
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If you travel around Austraia, you will soon notice that a beer is not a beer everywhere, and you need to know a few things in order to fit in with the locals and to order a beer correctly in any state you are in.
Tasmania
- Cascade and Boags are the major beers brewed here. Cascade is brewed in Hobart and Boags in Launceston. Consequently, Tasmanians from the north of the island near Launceston drink Boags and are passionate about it, and conversely, those from the south where Hobart is located drink predominantly Cascade and are equally passionate about it.
- The standard size for a beer when ordered in a pub is a '10 ounce'. This is a simple but great idea where there can be no confusion as the name of the glass describes the size of the glass.
- From a label of Boags: "James Boag started brewing beer on the banks of the Esk River in Launceston in 1853. He believed in brewing the highest quality beer using the finest Tassie ingredients"
- The Cascade Brewery is situated at the base of Mt Wellington, in Hobart. Cascade Brewery is Australia's oldest, and it produces some of Australia's most awarded beers. The brewery was started in 1824. If you are in Hobart, there are tours available, which you must book in advance.
- local brew: Hazard's Ale
Victoria
- Standard size is a 'pot'
- VB is brewed here
NSW
- standard size is a 'schooner', which is larger than the Melbourne pot
- locals tend to drink 'Tooheys' brand beer
Queensland
- locals drink XXXX brand beer
WA
- the local brand beer is 'Swan', or 'Emu Export'
- standard size is a 'middie'
SA
- One of Australia's finest beers, Coopers, is brewed in South Australia.
NT
- over the bar you order 'handles' - beer served in glasses with handles don't tend to warm up as quickly in the tropics.
- popular with the locals is Victorian Bitter (VB, green can) or Melbourne Bitter (red can)
- Darwin stubbies (2 litres bottles) can be bought as souveniers, apparently filled with XXXX
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