I rise at 10. Andrew a little later. We check out and then trail down to our other place.
It’s very spacious, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. We chill out for a while, before getting an Uber to the Breakfast Creek hotel. A pub dating from the 1880s, with one particular claim to fame.
The place is mobbed.
"Do we need to wait to be seated?" I ask.
"Yes. Unless you want to just sit at the bar."
That's exactly what we were planning. We weave our way through the seating to the private bar in the original part of the building. It's rather lovely. With a marble-topped bar and leaded glass windows. And a cask perched on the bar.
Because this is the one place where XXXX Bitter is served by gravity from a wooden cask. We get ourselves schooners. It's quite pleasant. Smooth.
There's women's rugby league on the TV. It's pretty brutal.
After a couple of schooners, I order some prawns. Giant ones. They're rather nice.
I take a look at the public bar over the corridor. It's a real, old-fashioned Aussie public bar. Fully tiled, island bar counter in the centre, horse racing on the TV. It's quite raucous. In contrast to the more sedate private bar.
“You should have a look in the public bar, Andrew.”
“Is that where all the noise is coming from?”
“Yes. They’re watching horse racing.”
“Hence the shouting.”
“Yes. Take a look. It’ll give you an idea of the six o’clock swill days.”
Andrew is feeling a bit hungry and orders some chips. In the meantime, he has a pint of Hahn Superdry.
I have a couple of Bundaberg rums to accompany my schooners. This is all rather nice.
They’re getting through the casks pretty quickly. Each one only lasts 30 or 40 minutes. It looks like a firkin in size. Meaning a cask contains about 100 schooners. So, they’re serving them at a decent pace.
After several happy hours, we get an Uber back to our hotel.
I fancy some Asian food. There seem to be loads of places down the road. So that's where we head. We, somewhat randomly, choose the Fat Dumpling. As it's pretty early, we can get a walk in.
We order spring rolls and three types of dumplings. Pretty much exactly what we want in terms of variety and quantity. I feel quite stuffed at the end. Even Andrew eats a fair bit.
“Feeling hungry for once?”
“Fuck off, Dad.”
“Charming. I’m only concerned about your welfare.”
“Really? Not just trying to wind me up?”
“Would I do that?”
“Yes. You’re always saying shit just to annoy me.”
“Bantz, Andrew. Just bantz.”
“That’s what all abusers say.”
Now it's time to find somewhere to watch the Lions game. We first check out the Empire. But that doesn't seem to have any large screens. We pop over the road to the Royal George. It's really buzzing outside, but pretty empty inside. With lots of rugby league games on. I have an IPA-type thing, Andrew a cider.
“Not sure this is the best place to watch the game, Andrew. It’s a bit dead.”
“Like you?”
“Very funny. I’m still alive.”
“Just about.”
“And it’s very rugby league in here. Not sure they’ll show a union game.”
Heavily carpeted and with a bland, modern look, it reminds me of a Watney’s tied house circa 1974. Not exactly homely.
We find a much better candidate back up on Brunswick Street, the Ginger Lion. They have two big screens. One is showing an Aussie rules game featuring Brisbane (who are also called the Lions). The other, the rugby union Lions game. We get beers and are lucky enough to find seats next to an older chav with an impressive beard.
It's absolutely pissing it down when the game starts. And it doesn't go well for the Lions. It's a bit disconcerting as half the punters are cheering for the rules game.
We get chatting to the bearded gentleman, whose name is Stuart. He spent a couple of decades in the Australian army. He seems a nice chap.
Unlike the pissed-up arsehole who screams in the face of a mild-mannered Irishman when the Lions lose. What a total and utter cunt.
We leave soon after the end of the game. For drinks and YouTube in our hotel.
Breakfast Creek Hotel
2 Kingsford Smith Dr,
Albion QLD 4010.
https://www.breakfastcreekhotel.com/
Fat Dumpling
370 Brunswick St,
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006.
Royal George Hotel
327 Brunswick St,
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006.
http://royalgeorgehotel.com.au/
Ginger Lion
446 Brunswick St.,
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006.
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11 comments:
Don't think I've ever seen keg Old Peculier in a pub. Did you try it?
No. Because, until now, I hadn't even noticed that they had it. How did I miss that?
Matt what are you on about?
Fortitude Valley has a couple of ripper brew pubs. My favourite is Soapbox with a great range, and nearby a cliff-face lift that takes you down to the edge of the Brisbane River at the old Howard Smith Wharves under the Story Bridge where Felons Brewery is a large brewpub and food place.
I love the XXXX bitter at the Brekky Creek. It's run off from the production line before pasteurisation, and carbonated lightly into the cask. They employ coopers to make the casks, one of the last centres of cooperage in Aus.
Matt, hold my comment... I just noticed the tap array. bloody heck, might look for it when I'm up in Brisbane next.
What about all your wineries?
Oscar
Hopefully Andrew got an explanation between the two different codes of Rugby Football.
Australia had lost the series by that Sydney match, so don’t know why that Australian man could ever cheer.
Oscar
I taught him the difference between good and evil rugby before he could walk.
I remember drinking keg OP in a pub in the Lakes in 2002. I acquired a girlfriend who I bought a house with, she moved to New Zealand, acquired another girlfriend, we got married, sold the house, etc etc. Everything points back to a drunken night on keg OP.
Any Castlemaine XXXX available?
Being from Newark in the English Midlands I guess Rugby Union is the good Rugby Football code. Then again the English Midlands team who visited us explained to us that where they are from,
Rugby League has something of a foothold which is why many clubs either title themselves as Rugby Union Football Clubs or Rugby League Football Clubs, rather than simply Rugby Football Clubs.
Here in Ireland due to Rugby League being pretty much non existent most are simply called Rugby Football Clubs which is fairly self explanatory, though like England quite a number of very old senior clubs title themselves as Football Clubs including not just the oldest continuous Rugby Football club, but the oldest continuous Football club in general in the world, Dublin University Football Club founded in 1854/1855.
Oscar
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