G'day & Welcome to the Aussie Cultural, Learning and Education Centre of Beverage Innovations

 

Here you will learn all about beer, aussie beer culture and see some of our iconic aussie beer advertising campaigns... Enjoy in moderation!

 

We thought we'd have a little fun and educate the 'first timers' on how to order a beer in Australia, aussie style - you might be surprised.

With respect, we must give credit to our good friends at Aussie Beers.com for providing most of the content, so feel free to jump off our site and onto theirs to learn some great aussie-ockerisms which goes a lot further than "chuck another shrimp on the barbie, will ya love!", which, just quietly is rarely used.

We have included several hyperlinks allowing you to learn and understand the true meaning of our Australian heritage and colloquial aussie slang. We've also included several aussie slang dictionaries  and another here.

Aussie Beers is a clever site contributed over the years by good hearted souls that love a drink and the boys clearly have a great sense of humour when it comes to anything to do with beer, or 'suds' as my good mate Deano from Dubbo calls them.   Who also just happens to like The Bold and The Beautiful, not sure what that means but let's move on....

Ahh yes, the great aussie pastime of 'sharin a yarn with ya china plate over a pig's ear' to some it doesn't get any better, to others it's as foreign as watching a film with sub-titles. The boys from Aussie Beers have done a great job of upholding this famous tradition.

 

Got a Hard Earned Thirst or Love a Sunburned Country?? 

 

Well, believe it or not, below is a state-by-state overview of 'how to order a beer in Australia' albeit light-hearted, this summary comes pretty close to the way how it really is and the further you go 'out of town', to the bush, rural Australia etc, particularly the inner west to west of any built-up city, the more you will appreciate why there is a love of beer and the hard work that goes into acquiring the taste.

Australia is a hot, dry, unforgiving country; it's great and we love it...

 

 

 Classic VB advertisement an icon from the 80's and still a beauty!

 

So how does one order a beer, Aussie style?

A daunting task for some, with the need to feel socially accepted and to 'fit in', perhaps lets just say that could be easier said then done - read on.

There are many facets that the modern ale connoisseur must consider when enjoying beer. One perplexing aspect of beer drinking is the number of different receptacles that beer can come in. When moving around Australia it can become quite confusing as to how to get the size of beer you want. Ordering a pot of beer in one state can mean a totally different thing in another.  Thus it is wise to take note of the state you are drinking in and to study the terminology.

 

Queenslanders (male & female) enjoying their Pots

 

Below is an easy guide to follow when drinking around Australia. You will find that terminology even varies in some pubs and clubs around each state. For instance the popularity of themed clubs means that a pint of XXXX can be enjoyed in an Irish pub in Brisbane. It is even said that in some establishments you can order a bucket of beer. This is, of course, not the best way to enjoy your beer and is frowned upon in polite circles. However, these are exceptions and likely to confuse, until you become experienced.

 

Could *you* order the right size?

Of course, the name of the beer container is only half the battle. You also have to know which beer is available in the particular part of Australia you are ordering in, and you also have to be aware of the correct usage of the word mate.

 

 

For example, if a bloke's behind the bar and you order a beer in Queensland and you're only buying for yourself, the conversation would go as follows...

 

Enjoy the banter:

 

Barman: Mate, are you right?

Queenslander: Pot a XXXX thanks mate

Barman (after getting money): Thanks mate

Queenslander (after getting beer): Thanks mate

 

or alternatively, if you are shouting (great blurb on shouting here):

 

Queenslander: G'day mate, a jug a XXXX thanks

Barman (after getting money): Thanks mate

Queenslander (after getting beer): Thanks mate

 

Note that all words are typically slurred together regardless of whether or not you are sober. Note also, that if you were lucky enough to be served by a barmaid, then you would typically, but not necessarily, drop the use of the word mate.  Although if you are really on the ball, you will observe the placement of mate at the end of the sentence in the first order but not in the second order (due to the use in G'day mate). Further, G'day mate is not used in the first order as the Barman enquired as to whether or not the Queenslander was 'right'. That's just the way it is.

 

However, this same ritual in New South Wales would result in a very dry evening - observe:

 

Barman: Mate, are you right?

Queenslander: Pot a XXXX thanks mate

Barman (looking confused?): Sorry?

Queenslander (thinking very hard and speaking slowly): Sorry, a schooner a New thanks

Barman: Are you from Queensland are you?

Barman (after receipt of money): Cheers

Queenslander (after receipt of beer and trying to fit in linguistically): Cheers

 

However, this won't get you very far if you wander up and west a little to the famous Northern Territory (which has the highest per capita beer consumption in the world).

 

How would you cope, for example, if you heard this little exchange?

 

Barman: Mate, are you right?

NT'er: Green can thanks bloke

Barman (after receipt of money): Thanks bloke

NT'er: Thanks bloke

 

You see, in order to speed up and simplify the process of ordering the nectar of the gods, the NT'ers have invented their own little code for fast and accurate delivery. It is based on the colours of the desired beer can (or tinnie):

 

 

You will also note the use of 'bloke' instead of mate. This is, as far as we know, unique to the Territory. Bloke is used by Aussies all over Australia, but normally used in the same way as the american guy eg He's a good bloke; It's a bloke thing.

....Now you know the lingo, so give it a burl.

 
 

 

a few good ones here - compilation

 

How it's done in Victoria:

Firstly, a 'pint' is now an extremely popular size for drinking _any_ beer not of local origin. Primarily these are the Irish beers - Guinness, Kilkenny, etc. as found in the numerous Irish-themed pubs around Melbourne. The generally colder weather than other parts of Australia means heating-up is not a real issue, and the crowding in these popular pubs means a larger beer avoids making numerous trips to the bar although the actual beer-ordering procedure is similar to Qld, perhaps slightly more terse and goes something like this:

Barman: Right mate?

Victorian: Pot a Carlton thanks

Barman (after getting money): Cheers mate

Victorian (after getting beer): Ta

 

Schooners, Glasses, Small Glasses and Ponys are pretty much unheard of and will identify the orderer as a novice, or worse, as a New South Welshman. Pot, Pint and Jug are the only measures to be used if credibility is to be maintained.  

 

For the complete state-by-state overview of aussie beer ordering - please click here:

 

 

 Following is a very useful National List of Beer Size Descriptions

 Kindly prepared by the guys at Aussie Beers.com

 

New South Wales and A.C.T.
Pint	568ml	20 ounces
Schooner	425ml	15 ounces
Middy	285ml	10 ounces
Seven	200ml	7 ounces
Pony	140ml	5 ounces
Northern Territory
Schooner	425ml	15 ounces
Handle	285ml	10 ounces
Seven	200ml	7 ounces
Queensland
Jug	1125ml	40 ounces
Pot	285ml	10 ounces
Beer (some pubs)	200ml	7 ounces
Schooner (some pubs)	425ml	15 ounces
Middy (some pubs)	285ml	10 ounces
Five (some pubs)	140ml	5 ounces
Seven (some pubs)		7 ounces
Ten (some pubs)	285ml	10 ounces
South Australia
Pint	425ml	15 ounces
Schooner	285ml	10 ounces
Butcher	200ml	7 ounces
Pony	140ml	5 ounces
Tasmania
Ten or Pot/Handle	285ml	10 ounces
Eight	225ml	8 ounces
Six	170ml	6 ounces
Small Beer	115ml	4 ounces
Victoria
Schooner	425ml	15 ounces
Pot	285ml	10 ounces
Glass	200ml	7 ounces
Small Glass	170ml	6 ounces
Pony	140ml	5 ounces
Pint	568ml	20 ounces
Western Australia
Pot (see above)	575ml	20 ounces
Schooner	425ml	15 ounces
Middy	285ml	10 ounces
Glass	200ml	7 ounces
Bobbie	170ml	6 ounces
Pony	140ml	5 ounces
Shetland	115ml	4 ounces

 

 

 

A little aussie humour before you go, but before you do, we would like to bring to your attention one really important point, especially if you're walking...    

 

This highway sign-board is 110% true!

 

"Where did you say you left the keys to the holiday house again!!?"

 

Just goes to show you what an unforgiving, tough country we live in.

 

Cheers from the Team!

@ Beverage Innovations

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for Visiting!

 

Feel free to make good use of the content & don't forget to pay the boys a visit at aussiebeers.com and say Thanks Lad's!

 

 

 

Now for Australia's #1 Beer Advertisement!

 

  

 

Aussie's, just the best aren't they?

 

Compiled by Team Beverage Innovations - Hope you enjoyed it!

 

 

 

 

For more interesting advice and frivolity on the amber subject, please follow the following link: http://www.australianbeers.com

 

 

 

 

 

 FIVE FABULOUS BEER GLASSES TO CHOOSE FROM

Just in case you're thirsty!!