I just have to post this here, for obvious reasons. We have a lot of microbreweries here in Oregon, and some very fine craft beers. But truth be told, I still think the 25.4-ounce "oil can" of Foster's lager is about my favorite beer in the world. The Foster's that comes in 12-ounce bottles is not the same stuff at all. So what is it about Foster's lager in the oil can that makes it such a wonderful brew?

Fosters is not as popular here as it used to be, Victoria Bitter is the "in" beer, you will find that Fosters may be brewed in the US it is in the UK . I like Cascade ,a Tasmanian beer, but drink what you like Cheers!

It depends on where it's being brewed methinks.

A lot of beers these days are brewed under license in countries far removed from their place of origin.

Take Heineken for example. Now brewed under license in Australia and it is swill (relatively speaking, it still pretty good) in comparison to the original Dutch brew.
Same goes for Guinness. Now brewed in Oz also but not a patch on the original.

It has to do with the water, malt, hops and yeast that go into the beer and where they are sourced from.

Jeez, haven't had a Fosters in years though.

Personal faves of mine here are the James Squire brews. Their pilsener is spectacular.
James Squire Beers

James Squires is good. There are some others that I like more.

http://www.littlecreatures.com.au/

http://www.bluetonguebrewery.com.au/

Guys, until recently the oil cans said "Product of Australia" right on the can. Now they say brewed under Australian license in Toronto, but it is indistinguishable from the Australian-brewed, thank God. The bottled stuff is brewed in many more places, including the U.S., I believe, and it is indeed swill, just as the U.S.-brewed-under-license Heinekin is.
Favorite brews that are made here in Oregon include Full Sail Amber Ale from up on the Columbia River; Rogue Brewing's Dead Guy Ale; and a local brew (just 15 miles from here) called Walkabout, featuring Ayres Rock on the label! I will check the special beer shops for Squires, Victoria Bitter and some of your other brews, although I have found some travel better than others. Oh to have the quid to come down for a visit, sample your beers and hunt your water buffalo, but our poor dollar is so ill that it has become impossible for a working guy like me.
Sure appreciate you thoughts, and have an excellent New Year.

SJM said "Victoria Bitter is the "in" beer"

not where I throw down a few beers, commonly referred to as Visitors Beer or Very Bad,

some of the smaller breweries are doing well, the Malt Shovel brewery, etc, much better than the stuff produced in the larger breweries.

Canned beer tends to travel better than glass bottled beers also.
Beer in glass bottles can be exposed to light that can break down the hops component in the brew to give off flavours known as "skunking".

NEVER buy any beer that is in clear or green glass bottles that has been stored in an illuminated environment, fridge etc.

I will drink canned beer in preference to bottled beer any day for this reason.
The quality of a metal canned beer will be superior every time compared to glass bottled beer (even though it is much more pleasant to drink from a glass vessel.)

Well if it says "Product of Australia" on the can, well it means just that.
We're kinda proud about that sorta thing around here....

Coopers is another beer to look out for. Naturally brewed etc. I'm pretty sure they export a lot of stuff to the States. Any good brewshop there should carry it.

Fosters and good beer do not go in the same sentence.

For example Fosters bought Cascade and now its also swill in a bottle ...

I think it is something about being a quality-less mass producing multi-national with no idea of taste ...

Agree on avoiding beer in clear or green bottles -- part of the problem with Heineken. Nitro: We have a lot of world-class microbrews here in Oregon, and I still think Foster's is a very fine lager. When I want real character, I usually look for nice bitter ale with sediment in the bottom.

Do people really drink Fosters? Gee, I thought it was just a novelty to put on the top shelf of your bar!

Personally, I can't stand either Fosters or VB. Not only do I NOT like the taste of either of them but they also include preservatives that cause me serious headaches - and I am not talking about hangovers. I only have to drink two fosters or two VBs (or two of any of the export beers) and I have a migraine for the next 48 hours. These beers have special preservatives added that I am alergic to, and it makes me wonder what effect it has an everyone else.

Fosters and VB - YUUUUKKKK!

quote:

Originally posted by BwanaBob:
Do people really drink Fosters? Gee, I thought it was just a novelty to put on the top shelf of your bar!

Personally, I can't stand either Fosters or VB. Not only do I NOT like the taste of either of them but they also include preservatives that cause me serious headaches - and I am not talking about hangovers. I only have to drink two fosters or two VBs (or two of any of the export beers) and I have a migraine for the next 48 hours. These beers have special preservatives added that I am alergic to, and it makes me wonder what effect it has an everyone else.

Fosters and VB - YUUUUKKKK!

I had always heard from our Aussie and NZ trainees that Fosters was like Oly or Milwaukee's Best here in the states. I prefer a local brew myself made in Belt, MT called Belgian White. It is a traditional Belgian spiced white ale but is good out of the bottle but excellent out of the tap. Other than that I will go with Fat Tire from New Belgium Brewery, Dos Equis, or Tona'. If I planned on getting sloshed I will go with Bud light because it's cheap, I can drink a case, and every bar has it. Every once in a while Budweiser select is ok if you let it go skunky first.

A friend of mine spent a winter (or summer depends on how you look at it) in NZ being a ski instructor. He said that their were several beers there that ruined him on major brew american beer forever. He said one beer tasted like hard root beer. Some day maybe on a red stag hunt I might be able to fin this beer myself.

Bob,
I have the same problem with Fosters Beer. Huge headache from drinking it-- and not a ahngover, just does not work in my system.

Bill: I can actually get therecipe for this at the local home brew shop ! Pm me if you would like me to send some over

I dont even see Fosters on the shelf here any more. I actually really enjoyed it (one of the few i guess), Never been fond of VB which is available here in BC . If I recall there were a few beers i liked in australia when i was there I think Thooeys was the name of one of them and the other had a picture of a thylacine on it but I cant remember what it was called

for home brews we get the coopers kits here and i will say that they do make some fine beers

quote:

Originally posted by Barracuda:
If I recall there were a few beers i liked in australia when i was there, I think Thooeys

Yep Tooheys is from NSW they do some decent brews. Their best are Tooheys Old (mid gravity dark ale) and Tooheys Platinum (high alcohol pilsener style) IMHO.

quote:

and the other had a picture of a thylacine on it

This is the Cascade brand from Tasmania (hence the Tasmanian Tiger logo), and it's not a bad lager either.

quote:

for home brews we get the coopers kits here and i will say that they do make some fine beers

Yes the Coopers kits are some of the best and the supplied Coopers yeast is practically foolproof too. You just know that the fermentation will go right if you use it.

I am a bit surprised at all the loathing of Foster's. Mabe my problem is that I am comparing it to some really lousy lager, e.g., Budweiser, Olympia, Miller, Busch, Coors -- and all the other insipid, watery American brands. Compared to all these, the Foster's in the 25-ounce can has gobs of flavor and character. I invite all my Aussie and Kiwi friends to come on up to the states for a taste test, and I will show you some really shitty beer -- and some very good stuff, too.

Fosters is watery,like Bud.

Not as bad as Speights tho...

Speights,pride of the south

i think some of it could be the water supply. i vacationed in curacao years back and they have no fresh water supply. all water is desalinated. they had a amstel brewery and a coca-cola plant on the island. they both were made with desalinated water and tasted different then made in the US. i actually liked the amstel better, then the amstel brewed in holland. . i also have noticed coca-cola tasting slightly different regionally here in the US.

quote:

Originally posted by Avatar:

quote:

and the other had a picture of a thylacine on it

This is the Cascade brand from Tasmania (hence the Tasmanian Tiger logo), and it's not a bad lager either.

Not since Fosters acquired it. Gone way down hill.

Fosters is good if an Australian happens to catch on fire.Otherwise leave it well alone.

Up here they call VB "the green death". If someone is drinking it up here it's a definite sign that you're in the presence of a "Mexican"........from "the place to be" (out of!!!) or the state where the people are "on the move" (up here!!!).

No offence to my southern cousins. Hope to see you at Nelson's Bay in a couple of weeks for the SCI gig.

Fizzy lager. Yuk. A drink for oiks

A pint of cool Adnams.....mmmm no bubbles, thick hoppy taste. A reward to the man who shows me where to get that in NZ.

Bullterrier: Guess I'm an oik.
When the beer is a lager style, I'll take a Foster's over virtually any American lager and feel like I won that contest. I don't understand the vast appeal of Budweiser or Coors here, except that they make good lawn-mower beers -- thirst quenchers for doing yard work on a hot day.
By the way, do you fellas down south drink your beer warm like the Brits, cold like Yanks or somewhere in between?

Bill/Oregon...I'm a "Pom" down here so I have a funny taste in beer - flat and cool as opposed to freezing and fizzy! I do understand that we Brits do march out of step with most of the world when it comes to beer, but a lot of that I reckon is to do with the weather! I have never heard of lawn mower beers but know just what you mean
The Kiwis love a cold one - and to be fair there are some very good beers here - Monteiths do a fine selection and if you find yourself down here I'll treat you...

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Bullterrier: Guess I'm an oik.
When the beer is a lager style, I'll take a Foster's over virtually any American lager and feel like I won that contest. I don't understand the vast appeal of Budweiser or Coors here, except that they make good lawn-mower beers -- thirst quenchers for doing yard work on a hot day.
By the way, do you fellas down south drink your beer warm like the Brits, cold like Yanks or somewhere in between?

But you seem to be comparing a crap beer to even crappier beers.
"lawnmower beers"! Love it! Must write that one down...

quote:

By the way, do you fellas down south drink your beer warm like the Brits, cold like Yanks or somewhere in between?

We generally serve it ice cold.
Beer is served colder here in Oz than in NZ I reckon. I could never seem to get a decent cold beer when I was over there.
I've had plenty of beers in Oz that have had a bit of frost forming on the outside of bottle whilst it's being drunk.
The colder the better, and I'm sure most Aussies would agree.

Avatar: Ice cold here, too, especially if a typical supermarket lager like Bud.
Sambar: I have not seen the math, but on a normal, warm summer day, mowing an acre of grass with a walk-behind gas lawnmower is worth about 6 lawnmower beers, or something like 14 per hectare. The ratio is less when on a riding mower, of course, and steering with just the one hand, you could actually sip a much better beer more slowly whilst cutting. I have not seen any tables with a correction factor for temperatures. It might be worth researching, but I am afraid I must leave that to my friends in the Southern Hemisphere, as it is about 3C and blowing a gale here today. No lawn to cut for another two or three months.

You might be on to a marketing tool for beer! . a label with a bloke pushing a lawn mower drinking a can of beer but not much lawn cut!