Schooners, Pots, and Middies, Oh My: A State-by-State Breakdown

First up, we have the good old ‘schooner’. This name is used in most parts of Australia, but the size can differ depending on the state or territory. In New South Wales, a schooner is usually around 425ml, while in Queensland and the Northern Territory, it’s a slightly larger 425-450ml. Meanwhile, in Western Australia, it’s a slightly more modest 375ml and in South Australia only 285ml. Confused yet? Don’t worry, we’re just getting started.

Next, we have the ‘pot’, which is commonly used in Victoria and Tasmania. A pot is usually around 285ml, but some places might serve a smaller ‘pony’ which is around 140ml. If you’re in Queensland, a pot is called a ‘middy’ and is around 285-310ml, while in South Australia, it’s a ‘pint’ that comes in at a similar size of around 425ml.

Yards of Beer and Other Monstrosities: How Much Can You Handle

But wait, there’s more! In some parts of New South Wales, you might come across the ‘handle’, which is basically a pint-sized beer glass with a handle (who would have guessed?). Then there’s the ‘butcher’, which is a pint-sized glass with a handle and a dimple on the side – this one is common in South Australia and Western Australia.

Finally, we have the granddaddy of them all – the ‘yard’. This monstrosity is usually only found at university bars or pubs that cater to rowdy backpackers. It’s a full yard (that’s 1.4 litres!) of beer served in a tall, skinny glass that you need both hands to hold. It’s not for the faint-hearted (or the sober) and it’s not really Australian, but it’s definitely a sight to behold.

So there you have it, folks – a brief overview of the many and varied beer sizes you might encounter in Australian pubs. Of course, the best way to truly understand the nuances of this complex and fascinating topic is to hit up as many pubs as possible and conduct some in-depth research.

It’s important to keep in mind that while we’ve provided a general guide to beer sizes in Australian pubs, the actual experience you have may vary. Each pub and region may have its own unique conventions and interpretations of the various names and sizes. Additionally, some pubs may even have their own unique glassware that doesn’t fit neatly into any of the standard categories. So, the best advice we can give is to be open to trying new things, ask questions if you’re unsure, and most importantly, enjoy yourself! After all, beer is meant to be enjoyed in good company, regardless of the size of the glass. Cheers.

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That has changed very much now. In every pub and even more in the liquor stores, you will find an extremely wide selection of brands, types and styles from both Australia and many other countries around the world.

The selection is almost overwhelming. You have the choice between a craft beer, international  full- or mid strength, light or a low carb beer. Moreover, should it be a lager, dark beer, wheat beer, pilsner, ale or a pale ale, IPA, amber ale and golden ale?

In most states, alcohol can only be bought in pubs or in specially licensed liquor stores (“liquor stores” or simply “bottle shops”). However, I have never seen such a large selection in a liquor store as here in Australia. For example, DanMurphy’s offers 665 (!) different craft or 356 (!) international beers.

Unfortunately, beer in Australia is also quite expensive. A good pilsner costs in a liquor store about AUD 3 (about EUR 2) per ½ litre, a normal lager about AUD 2.70 (about EUR 1.80) and a craft beer can easily be AUD 5 (approx. EUR 2.50). In addition, these prices depend on the quantity you purchase. Some bottles cost up to 100% more if you buy them individually. For example, “VB” as a single bottle AUD 4, -, in a pack of six AUD 19.80 (AUD 3.30 per bottle) and in a box of 24 AUD 48, – (AUD 2 per bottle)

Interestingly, the cheapest beer does not come from Australia but from Europe. It is Oettinger from Germany and Hollandia (in Europe under the name Bavaria) from … Holland.

The huge offer makes the choice difficult and to compare the prices you need a calculator. This is partly because prices vary according to the quantity and partly because the beer is sold in bottles and cans with different quantities. There are bottles (so-called stubbies) of 0.330L, 0.345L, 0.355L and 0.375L as well as cans of 0.330L, 0.375L, 0.440L and 0.500L. However, one cannot say that bottles are generally more expensive than cans (or vice versa). The boxes come in different sizes to 24 or 30 units.

A good offer with 24 bottles can then turn out to be more expensive than the supposedly worse offer at a higher price per carton. And the Australian Unit Pricing Code does not include alcohol and is only mandatory for grocery retailers with more than 1000 squares metres of floor space who sell the minimum range of food-based grocery items.

On my mobile phone, therefore, I have a small spreadsheet, which calculates the litre price. This results in amazing differences. Some examples:

Well, anyway, I still choose my brew primarily to my liking. Moreover, I try repeatedly unknown ones. And that will keep me busy for a while.

So cheers!

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Freezing Aircon

Perhaps it also has something to do with the urge of Australians for coolness (in terms of both temperature and behaviour). An essential part of this is the operation of a proper air-conditioning and not only in buildings, but also in vehicles. Three days ago on a Sunday morning at 6 o’clock I took a bus (I should rather have taken my bike). While the temperature was about 20 °C outside it was freezing inside the bus. The air conditioning of the bus was set to full power, which is standard in public buses. Usually it takes a while for me to get cold (I had only a short pair of running pants and a T-shirt on), but not in that bus.

Cold Beer

Generally I prefer cooler regions of the earth (friends wondered why of all things I moved to subtropical Queensland. Well …) But as I said, people like it cool here as well, especially regarding alcoholic drinks. In a “drinking-hall” (this is my expression for taverns in Queensland) you can see beer taps, which are covered in a centimetre thick layer of ice (in this case the air conditioning is not the cause of that). In this regard, the Australians fortunately have broken with an English tradition. The English habit of serving lukewarm beer. I can only welcome that.

BYO

In Australia, it is common to bring your own drinks to a dinner invitation or party. This is also the case at the many BYO restaurants, where BYO stands for “bring your own”. So you bring your own alcohol and pay only a “corkage fee”. However, the term is not quite correct any longer. 99% of wine bottles in Australia only have screw tops, not to mention beer.

Cooling Containers

To carry your booze to the party or BYO-restaurant, one can purchase the most unusual cooling containers. E.g. if you look for “Fridges & Coolers” at the Australian Boot & Camping chain BCF, you will have 147 items to choose from. In addition to 200l (!) ice boxes you will find the corresponding size denominations such as “Sixer Cooler”, “9 Can Soft Cooler” or for the big thirst “30 Can Soft Cooler”. Furthermore, you can buy portable WIFI Fridge Freezers, with a USB outlet for charging phones & tablets. In addition, an app allows you to monitor and control your fridge in the back of your ute whilst on the move. Or consider obtaining a “Large Ice Blanket”, which you simply wrap around food and drinks.

In other shops, there are glamorous looking handbags, which are nothing more than cooler containers for a bottle of wine or champagne. I have also seen cooler backpacks, which from the outside look like a normal hiking backpack (only the destination of your hike will be a more extensive party).

In addition, there are thousands of relatively normal cooler bags with more or less tasteful patterns on it. It certainly depends on whether you want to attract attention and/or share your more or less expensive wine … These bags are often made of a neoprene material, which usually protects divers and not their bottles. But here it is the other way around, where you rather dive into a party.

I now go to our COOL fridge and get a COOL drink … Cheers!

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