Beer Drinking in Australia

[milehighsuds]

OK fellow beer geeks i need some help with a trip to Austrailia and New Zealand. I will be traveling there in September and need some ideas on where to get some good beer and maybe a glass or two of wine for the wife. This will be our Honeymoon and we both love beer. Our time will be spent in Cairns for several days, we will then fly to Brisbane, rent a car and spend the next two weeks working our way down to Melbourne, from there we will be heading over to Qeensland, New Zealand and renting a car for at least a week. Nothing about this trip has been set in stone but we would like to have it revolve around good drinkand good food. If anyone out there can share some ideas on must see breweries, beer bars, and wineries that would be awsome.

Or if anyone from there is interested some beers i be happy to bring some down for trade. Im from Denver Colorado so i have access to more amazing beers than i can shake a stick at.

-Cheers

 

[dfc]

You've got to get some Fosters while you're there...

 

[gypsyhead]

Spent a few days in Cairns and didnt find any great brews immediately, but it was a family vaction, so... but it was a fantastic trip, definitely one of the top 5 places I've ever been (and I'm a mariner who has hit up 6 out of 7 continents by age 23). They did have a lot of mixed drinks in cans, like a Dark and Stormy, but they weren't so great... though I love home mixed Dark and Stormy's, with Bundaberg Ginger Beer.

 

[JJL]

We have a sales rep in Australia. He said they drink a lot of Victorian Bitters (VB). I guess it's basically a light lager type beer. He said that's what people dring the most of because of the heat.

 

[Raenon]

I've had Toohey's New several times, found it to be drinkable. Nothing truly amazing, but pretty good beer, and an excellent alternative to the watery Foster's on those occasions I found myself at an Outback Steakhouse (silly fake accents aside, they know their way around a piece of beef)

While you're in Oz, I'd definitely suggest trying some of the wines though... they're getting some real recognition for warm climate varieties in particular.
Try some Shiraz

 

[The_Dog_42]

We have a sales rep in Australia. He said they drink a lot of Victorian Bitters (VB). I guess it's basically a light lager type beer. He said that's what people dring the most of because of the heat.

SWMBO and I went about a year ago to Brisbane, Sydney, Frans Josef (in NZ) and Queenstown. I tried most of the national brands (Victoria, Toohey's,XXXX Gold, a couple different coopers, and Cascade) and they were mostly like our national brands. Lots of decent beer designed to cater to the masses.

The one brand I fell in love with was James Squire. Every beer I had made by them was very good and (I thought) very representative of the style they were going for.

 

[Looper]

I spent 3 months in OZ, and was severely disappointed with the (lack of) beer selection.

First of all, get used to paying $55-60 USD for a case of ~3.0-3.5% piss water. Or, $8-9 USD for a pint at your local pub. The funny thing is, you can't even get anything higher than maybe 4% ABV or so. Wait, that's not funny at all actually..

Think the hard **** is cheaper? think again.. A bottle of Jim Beam white label is ~$65 USD and only 70 proof because of their strict alcohol regulation. Horse****!

It's not expensive to them, (obviously due to the purchasing power parity), yet prepare yourself to be HOSED by bringing american dollars over there.

Other than that, good luck!

 

[Grumpybumpy]

Before I was a seasoned beer drinker, I spent 6 months in melbourne. Cascade from tasmania was by far my favorite beer there. I'd love to try it again to see if it holds up to my current beer snobbery