I know that Australia has more beers than I mentioned. I don’t claim that I went to every brewery and tried every beer. I know that Americans don’t typically drink as much as Australians do, and that drinking a lot, particularly to get drunk, is a more accepted part of Australian culture than America. America amended our national constitution to ban alcohol completely during the 1920s, for Heaven’s sake! Clearly, we have our own issues with alcohol!

I’m simply saying that America has far, far, far more options in beer than Australia does. In the States we have thousands of breweries. Beer comes every color you can imagine – from almost a white color, with a tinge of yellow, to deep, deep brown with flecks of ruby. For example, I never found a witbier in Australia (a very, very light, crisp, but cloudy wheat beer). Nor did I find anything made with rice instead of barley. I couldn’t find a Russian Imperial Stout, and fruit-tinted beers were almost impossible to find. The hop content was never over 100 IBUs, and I’m sure I never had anything over 10% abv.

And I’m not saying these don’t exist ANYWHERE in Australia. I’m saying that in 3 weeks of looking for them, I was unable to find ANY examples of them. I went to pubs. I went to grocery stores. I went on a brewery tour. I asked bartenders. I didn’t find them, and it wasn’t for lack of trying. If it exists, it’s certainly not anywhere close to the mainstream beer market. My imagination gins up an underground (literally) brewery in Coober Pedy, with wonderful beer varieties – but I doubt that’s actually the case.

I’m not saying I LIKE all these varieties, either, nor am I saying that the beer that Australians make is poorly-manufactured. I’m simply saying that Australians do not have the diversity of beer available in the U.S. – for any number of reasons. There are only 30M-ish people, to start, so there’s less people to support more unique/obscure beers. The dearth of cool, wet climates makes widespread production of hops (instead of other, more prodigious agriculture) more difficult, or at least less appealing. The warm weather in the North certainly doesn’t encourage the consumption of heavy, thick beers. And so on.

I’m simply saying that America has MORE options than Australia – and it’s a shame for Australians. A country that takes its beer so seriously – and I acknowledge that Australia takes its beer seriously – hasn’t had the opportunity to try, and subsequently decide for themselves, on a larger breadth of beer options.

2.The other thing you were mistaken on is Coopers. Coopers is actually the last and only Australian Family run brewery in Australia. Not owned by Fosters or Lions Co.

3. With the variety thing, I guess we are just satisfied with Lager, the refreshing taste is perfect for our hot climate (especially Queensland).

4. Sensitive to alcohol? I’m not too sure about that. If I were to give my opinion why there is a low % on our beers would probably be to try and control the amount we drink. There are other things that they do to try and slow us down like bottle shops etc must be shut at early and strict pub opening and closing times or even areas where alcohol is banned completely. This has gone on since the beginning of Australia. After-all beer was introduced by the British to try and slow us down on drinking rum. And by personal experience, I live in a tourist town (Cairns) so I have been drinking with many people from the US and where as they pass out at a party at around 1am, me and my mates will be fighting strong still having beer influenced philosophical speeches when the suns rising. The Irish on the other hand will drink us out of a pub. You want to see real drinkers head there!

Anyway other than your disappointment in our beers I hope you enjoyed Australia

sensitivity to alcahole? sorely mistaken. the fact is that in australia the alcahole culture is you drink to get drunk, very drunk. an example is i blacked out for the first time when i was 13. this kind of binge drinking which is alien to just about evry other country makes adaults that can drink like fuck. i know a bloke whos 40 YOA who can down 2 slabs a day then get up at 5:30 the next morning and go to work. im not saying this kind of drinking doesnt happen in other countries at all but by percentage australia is by far the worst binge drinking country in the world. a fact we tend to be proud of. i know i take a sense of oride in it haha.

in other words in most countries culture, you would bring maybe 6 beers at a party or BBQ, in australia its a slab or you dont go.

and your right about fosters, ive never drank it or seen anyone drink it.

VB is considerd the shitest beer on the market, it is cheao as shit.

most other beers (carlton dry bein my faveorate) are moderatly priced but all prettty much taste the same.

As for the number of beers available in Australia, I only had three weeks to survey the beer landscape, so certainly I didn’t get a comprehensive look at it all, and I know that Australia has less than 10% of the people that the US. That being said, the US has FAR more than 10 times the number of breweries than Australia, and consequently has a far larger variety of beers available.