The Doncaster

The Hotel which has it all! Well according to the website of colourful Kensington pub - "The Doncaster". Situated on Anzac parade, a short stroll from my office, it regularly gets a workout on a Friday afternoon when I choose to start my weekend. While I admit it doesn't have the intimacy or lively characters that you get other places I used to frequent on Friday evenings - i.e. The Gunmakers, its pretty good by Australian standards.
The beers available are the usual Australian megaswill fare with the only two decent selections available being Coopers Pale Ale (4.5% abv, Australian Sparkling Ale) and Stella Artois (4.9% abv, brewed in Australia). I should note that the Stella brewed down under is far removed from the piss served up in the UK. Its actually a nice beer here, bursting with B-Saaz flavour. Australia 1- UK -0.
I usually opt for the Coopers. I like the slight haze, soft mouthfeel with subtle spritz and a slight citrus edge from Victoria hops. I find that most Australian lagers are too carbonated and leave me feeling bloated after years of drinking flat real ale.
In other news, I am currently penning a soundtrack to the BeerTickers movie. I am writing the lyrics, and Sausage is going to be taking care of composition and performance. I plan to release the video clips shortly after Sausage releases the audio to the world. Keep a look out and take total care.
www.doncasterhotel.net.au

Is Lager Expensive?

I recently blogged about how some of CAMRA's marketing towarsd lager was factually misleading. I think it was;

"lager is weak in flavour and usually overpriced"

When I saw this display in Tesco recently I couldn't help myself. Compared to nearly £2 a bottle for 'premium bottled ale', I consider a crate of 24 Stella tins (9L in total) a steal. Please note that I did not take Tesco up on their offer...