by lob » Tuesday Aug 25, 2009 1:57 pm
I think the flood-gates opened with BUL a few years back when these unscrupulous asswipes (Management, senior accountants - f'wits with nothing to do with the brewing process) realised they didn't have to actually go to the expense of replicating these foreign beers. All they had to do was take a fairly flavourless beer such as Tooheys New and use it as the "base" and then add a bit of hops (oil) to create Stella, or Becks, or Kingfisher, etc.
You can see how these w@nkers (or marketing geniuses) now have the Australian beer market carved up if you go to a large woolies pub. The Winston at Winston Hills (Sydney) for example has all the "workers" - plumbers, electricians etc, calling in after work and drinking New, Carlton, VB. They get the beer cheapish (around $4) if they become a "member" of the pub. [Once a member the pub will bombard them with junk mail/emails regarding various wanky events.] Clever marketing strategies tell these "workers" that the people who pay more and drink "upmarket" beers are dickheads or poofters.
Meanwhile, in the evenings, especially on Fridays through the weekend they use these re-packaged Tooheys New brands to attract the younger crowd and the white collar workers. The younger crowd in particular were moving away from beer (particularly to coke based mixers) a few years ago, but "re-packaged Tooheys New as famous foreign beer brands" is starting to bring them back. Plus attracting more female beer drinkers. The higher $ doesn't hurt either.
I don't think calling these beers BUL is correct. It sort of implies that what has been brewed somehow follows the original brew instructions to the letter. Anyone who has functioning taste buds and has sampled a bottle of BUL Stella knows this is BUL shit. The correct term should be: "Re-packaged Tooheys New/Carlton as famous foreign beer brands."
btw I was in "No Choice" the other week, and looked at a slab of Stella. The only reference to being brewed in Australia was not on the Top, or either of the 4 Sides. Na, it was in very small print on the Bottom. Guess there wasn't enough room on the Top or the Sides of the case, what with the fancy Stella logo and all the European references. Glad I didn't pay $60.00 for 24 stubbies of Tooheys New.
Broome Pale Ale. WA's Finest Craft Beer.