The quote of the trip so far: “I think that in the depth of winter, Australians have forgotten what summer is like and what it does to beer. This thing is brilliant. How many thousand have you sold to Queensland?”
Answer: None…yet.
Let me begin by thanking the exquisite attack hospitality of the people of Australia with their demands that I try their favorite beers. A stein that is empty is a void that demands to be filled and no suggestion has been ignored so far and all enjoyed. I do have to scoff at the declaration for one of the brews at the Lord Nelson Brewery that it was “very hoppy”. The brewers of California are demented and fighting a war of nuclear escalation with their ever hoppier beers. Like the decendents of white mice turning black in mutagenic defense against radiation in the MegaMouse Project, I’ve had to acclimate to the ambient beer.
The mother of the groom on being served a modicum of Kona BBotE declared in good British fashion, “Ooo, yummy!” with Wallace & Gromit cheese-related finger wriggles. I’m calling that a win. A budding librarian has her 2L of Ethiopian with gleam of delight & fear in her eye. I look forward to hearing how it treats her.
I have, unfortunately, discovered that all the tales of indifference and horror attributed to Australian Post are entirely accurate. There is a certain level of quantum uncertainty combined with a lackadaisical attitude that gives one the impression that an package will get there when a passing drunken traveler can be flagged down and bothered to care. I realize this is a traditional postal service mode, but BBotE demands a higher level of professionalism. Eventually, when sufficient money is waved in their faces, postal employees remember that they do have actual express mail options and have to go rummage for the forms and remember which buttons to press on the McMail Service register screen.
I did bring extra Steins of Science with me to the antipodes, but both the imperial pint FMJs have been claimed leaving only a 350ml and a 1000ml. Unlike BBotE, the steins are not perishable and can be entrusted to the slow pace of Australian Post. The listings are active on the main page, but I will refuse orders from anywhere outside Oz and NZ until the 13th of July. I am all about the instant gratification.