by pacman » Wednesday Jun 27, 2007 11:00 pm
Just got on here & read grabman's post from 02/05 regarding Tooheys 50 - half Old & half New.
Can well believe that it was an old guy who introduced grabman to Tooheys 50. As a young bank johnnie transferred from Sydney to Taree (NSW mid north coast) way back (1964!!!), I was introduced to this very same brew by the branch accountant.
First day at the pub after work, and this accountant ordered the first round which, as it was in that part of the country in those days, Tooheys New. All round! This particular branch accountant was by far the best operator I encountered in my 15 years with this bank. He was sussing me out. Was I a drinker? Would I fit in with with the crew? I subsequently learned how important this sort of thing was for this accountant.
He was promoted to a much larger branch, where his title was Assistant Manager (much higher than "Accountant", if you don't mind!). In both towns in which I encountered him, he turned shithole bank branches into top notch branches. At both branches, his successors were able to turn those branches back into shitholes! How was he able to operate both those branches so efficiently, and with far shorter staff working hours?
Don't know. But back to the story. I could sense him watching me as I had my first sip of Tooheys New, and he saw me wince! Goddammit! I was a Reschs drinker from Sydney Town! Tooheys New was as close to cordial as I ever got in my early 20's!
So this accountant suggested that I try a 50/50 next round. 50% New & 50% Old. Only way to acclimatise was his reasoning. He was right. Didn't take me long to adapt to Tooheys New. Fortunately, I did not stay long in Taree, so I did not acquire a taste for that foul brew. But that guy's management skills were extraordinary, right down to assessing his staff's beer tastes! By comparison, his peers beer tastes were pedestrian!
Where was I going with all this? Lord knows!
Cheers,
Pacman