It's All About the Beer, Buddy!

G'day all!

How are you? I'm great! Thanks again for coming back! New readers - welcome!

Last post, I said that I'd delve into the history of the amber fluid, so this is what I'm doing!

It's a common thought that, because it has been so advertised, that James Squire, was Australia's first Brewer. So I asked Google:

Question: Who was the first brewer in Australia?
Answer: "Lager was not brewed in Australia until 1885. Early beers were also brewed without the benefit of hops, as no-one had successfully cultivated hops in Australia, and importation was difficult. James Squire was the first to successfully cultivate hops in 1804, and he also opened a pub and brewed beer"

I actually found this hard to believe. I mean, is beer still beer if it has no hops? You would say it is, even if it didn't taste as good, it's still called beer, is it not?

I had a look at Wikipedia. I got this answer:

"The first official brewer in Australia was John Boston who brewed a beverage from Indian corn bittered with cape gooseberry leaves. It is likely though that beer was brewed unofficially much earlier. The first pub, the Mason Arms was opened in 1796 in Parramatta by James Larra, a freed convict."

Hmmm... So, maybe James Squire WASN'T the first OFFICIAL brewer in Australia. 

I delved into Australian beer history a little bit further...

information taken from Wikipedia

"Although modern Australian beer is predominantly lager, early Australian beer were exclusively top-fermented and quick-maturing ales. Lager was not brewed in Australia until 1885..."

"In September 1804, a government owned brewery opened in Parramatta, followed by a rival privately owned brewery three months later. The government brewery was sold two years later to Thomas Rushton, who was its head brewer. As of 2013, the Parramatta brewery remains the only government-run brewery in Australia."

Government run? Wow. I thought I'd also have a look at some events during Australia's time as a brewing nation:

• 1824 - Peter Degraves starts the Cascade Brewery in Tasmania. It still is Australia's oldest operational brewery
• 1835 - Tooth Brewery established in Sydney
•  1836 - John Warren start South Australia's first brewery
• 1837 - James Stokes establishes West Australia's first brewery, which later became the Swan Brewery
• 1838 - John Mills establishes the first brewery in Melbourne
• 1862 - Thomas Cooper establishes the Coopers Brewery. To this date, the Cooper family still operates and owns the business, and is the largest Australian owned Brewery
• 1864 - Carlton Brewery opens in Melbourne
• 1881 - CS Button opens the Esk Brewery in Launceston (acquired by James Boag & Son in 1883)
• 1885 - Gambrinus Brewery in Melbourne becomes the first brewery in Australia to brew lager
• 1887 - The Foster brothers arrive from New York with refrigeration equipment and establish the first lager brewery to use refrigeration in Australia
• 1889 - Lager is brewed in Queensland at the Castlemaine and Quinlan Brewery.
• 1901 - Just after Federation, the new government passed the Beer and Excise Act, which regulated the making and selling of beer, and made home brewing illegal. Because of this, several breweries closed. Larger breweries bought the smaller ones. Within a short time, only 2 breweries remain in Sydney - Tooths and Tooheys. In Melbourne, five breweries merged in 1907 to become the giant Carlton and United Breweries
• 2013 - as of this date, Lion Nathan and the Foster's Group, own every major brewery in Australia, with the exception of Cooper's.

How about that for a little bit of beer history?

I thought that I'd just put that into the blog for everyone's knowledge and enjoyment.

Interview time!

First interview for this post is... 

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing Mark Hazard!

I've known this wild Texan for a few years. I hadn't heard from Mark in a while, but I had a feeling that he would put his input in after I asked the question on my Facebook page. He came to Australia a few years back, and stayed here for a while, before going back home. He's a top bloke, and loves his beer.

After he read my question, I got this response
"Guinness Export Stout my everyday thing I like that coffee dark chocolate flavours... But here in Texas, the craft brewing is running amok, it seems nearly every time I go to grab a bottle there is a new company. Now the big favourite to make by everybody is IPA of the 20 local breweries that are just in my city alone..."

I LOVE the Guinness Extra Stout. It's exported from Ireland, and it's NOT actually the Guinness that you see everywhere. It's in a special bottle, and IT IS THE DOGS NUTS! I tasted it in Ireland last year, and if its on the shelf, it's mine!

Cheers Mark! Hopefully I will see you soon, either in Oz or Texas!


Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado...

Introducing Charlie Cluster!

I recently met Charlie, and he's a good bloke, loves his beer, and loves his music

"What's your favourite beer buddy?"
Charlie replied "Stella Artois is a classic! Or Hop Hog for that crafty taste!"
"And why do you like it mate?"
"Well Stella is nostalgic for me, first brand I remember enjoying, I always try to find Belgium brewed imports rather than Australian brewed Stella. And my ex used to work at Feral Brewery so I would drink Hop Hog by the gallon, great taste without being too fruity."
"Great answer mate."
"No worries man, happy to help, especially when it comes to beer :P"

Cheers mate - much obliged, and we'll catch up for a frothy one soon!


Well, that's it for this post in this wonderful blog!

Tune in next time, when I interview a few more people, and I'll delve into more beer history, and what it used for besides drinking!

CHEERS! AND DRINK ON!

BEER BUDDY