Australia Day (and, thankfully, a long weekend) is just around the corner. Most of you will probably have made your plans for the day, whether it’s sitting and drinking beer while listening to Triple J’s Hottest 100 Countdown, or sitting and drinking beer while purposefully not listening to Triple J’s Hottest 100 Countdown, your day is most likely going to be filled with good food, good company, and good beer. So, we have some recommendations on how to get the most out of your day.
Good Food
Odds are you’ll be in front of the barbie on Australia Day, but don’t forget some of these Australian classics, and some modern twists:
- Mango & Coconut Chicken Skewers
- Grilled prawns with lemon myrtle and vanilla hollandaise
- A classic – Lamingtons!
- Kangaroo Sausage Rolls
- Make the most of the mango season with a mango salsa
Good Company
With the right people, you can sit and chat about anything for hours without needing any further stimulus. But, if you’re inviting some new people and you want to break the ice you could always play a board or card game. While some might think games are just for kids, they can be surprisingly fun, especially with all of your friends a little bit tipsy. Some good suggestions are:
- Taboo – you have to get others to guess what word you have without using the five ‘taboo’ words on your card – surprisingly hard and funny! You can buy the game or play online
- Five Second Rule – can you name three famous Michael’s? Can you name three famous Michael’s in five seconds? That’s the point of this game, and it’s great fun watching your mates get flustered after being asked a simple question.
- Texas Hold’em Poker – a classic that only needs a deck of cards and some m&m’s in the worst case scenario.
Good Beer
Whether you’re a Lager drinker, a Stout fiend, or if you’re enjoying the current influx of Pale Ales and IPA’s, here are some ideas on some of the best beers Australia has to offer.
- Feral Brewing Co.’s Hop Hog – a (obviously) hoppy beer with a strong pine needle and citrus aroma, followed by an aggressive bitterness and a dry finish.
- McLaren Vale Beer Co.’s Vale Ale – a fruity, toffee-like lager great in the February heat.
- Burleigh Brewing Co.’s 28 Pale Ale – a flavourful beer with a complex, fruity character
- Monteith’s Black Beer – has a complex depth of flavours with dominant coffee notes. Crisper than sweet darks and smoother than harsh stouts.
- Little Creature’s Rogers – it’s hard to go past a Little Creature’s beer, but this one’s toffee and caramel malt flavours and gentle bitterness make this a unique, easy-drinking amber ale.
- Little Creature’s Pale Ale – a personal favourite, this beer has intense citrus and stone fruit characters carefully balanced with speciality malts.
- Cooper’s Pilsner ‘62‘ – based on a classic Bohemian-style Pilsner, Coopers 62 is a refreshing drop.
- James Squire’s Amber Ale ‘Nine Tales‘ – a sweet, malty, and full-bodied beer.
Or, if you’re feeling a bit classy, you could follow James Squire’s post on how to host a beer tasting event and comment with your friends about the subtle beery hints on the tip of your tongue.
Finally, with the extra beer around you’ll definitely need enough cold storage space, so you can always rent a drinks fridge from us!
Have a happy Australia Day!
