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There are countless things about our homeland that Australians miss after moving abroad: the magnificent landscape, the laid-back lifestyle and that endless blue sky, to name a few.

But something as simple as a trip to the supermarket can leave us expats — according to some reports there are an estimated one million of us — feeling desperately homesick.

With its long history of immigration, Australia is quite literally a melting pot of cuisines.

While some foods are the result of cultural influences, such as the Chiko Roll, there are others that are uniquely Aussie, like Golden Gaytime ice cream.

So which foods do expats crave when they are away from home?

We’ve rounded up the A-Z of Aussie favorites right here:

A: Aeroplane Jelly

Introduced in 1927, this simple dessert is an Australian classic.

Every Australian child grew up singing the famous 1930s jingle: “I like Aeroplane Jelly, Aeroplane Jelly for me!”

The brand’s “Bertie the Aeroplane” mascot was named after inventor Bert Appleroth — a Sydney tram driver who is said to have made the first batch in his bathtub.

Although now owned by an American company, Aeroplane Jelly has hardly changed since grandma was a girl.

Sure, there are plenty of brands of jelly available worldwide, but when it comes time to make a trifle or treat for the kids, Aussie parents can’t resist this familiar favorite.

Australia’s Biggest Pub Launched Near Optus Stadium

One week out from the AFL season opener and a year on from opening, we talk to Tim McLernon of the Three Pound Group, which launched Australia’s biggest pub, The Camfield, slap-bang next to Perth’s Optus Stadium.

Tim McLernon, General Manager of the Three Pound Group says: “From a group point of view, which is The Stables, The Reveley at Elizabeth Quay, The Camfield and Kartel, a month-long pop-up bar, what’s gone well for us was opening The Camfield in February 2018, right next to the new Optus Stadium.

That’s been a massive positive. Opening a new venue of that sort of size can be a real challenge, from a staffing point of view to just dealing with that amount of people.”

The Camfield

“Everything has gone pretty much how we thought it would. Obviously in the weeks building up to it you wonder ‘what the hell have I done here?’ but that’s been a massive positive. We’ve successfully opened a very large venue with a big capacity that has 45 days a year where we’re at capacity from 12pm to 12am.

“We’ve got everything right – the staffing levels and being able to deal with game days. Even our back of house, which is probably the most important part in these big venues, you’ve got to have the right capacity to hold the stock and have managers able to marshal the troops.

“The Camfield was a four-year project. We identified and trained up a number of individuals from our other venues we’d earmarked to come to The Camfield as managers or to replace managers leaving our other venues. We really needed to bring our A-team here. We had to draw all of our best guys who I know aren’t going to throw the towel in at 6pm on a Sunday when there are 3,000 people here ‘because it’s a bit too much’.”

See more at https://www.theshout.com.au/australian-hotelier/launching-australias-biggest-pub-the-camfield-optus-stadium-perth-three-pound-group-tim-mclernon/

September 11, 2023

Here’s Why You Should Skip The Ibuprofen if You’re Hungover

If you wake up with a headache after a night of overindulging, sometimes figuring out what painkiller to take can make the headache even worse. Taking acetaminophen (aka Tylenol) can lead to liver damage, but take note: you’re also not supposed to drink while taking ibuprofen.

Ibuprofen drugs (like Advil) are part of the anti-inflammatory drug family known as NSAIDs, which can cause tears in the stomach lining if taken on an empty stomach. Add alcohol to the mix, and the potential danger is heightened. If you take ibuprofen when drinking more than the recommended amount for women (about two to three drinks), you increase your risk of stomach irritation and bleeding. This is especially true for people who are prone to ulcers.

But wait! Taking Tylenol when you’re hungover isn’t such a good idea either, and aspirin has its downsides too. Acetaminophen can lead to liver damage if you take it in large doses for more than a couple of days. Heavy drinkers who take acetaminophen and don’t eat enough can overtax their livers. According to researchers at Harvard Medical School:

If you drink a lot of alcohol — say, on a Saturday night — and take a normal dose of acetaminophen to deal with the hangover in the morning, you probably are not going to have liver problems. . . . The trouble starts when regular heavy drinkers take a lot of acetaminophen over a period of time — several days, at least, and maybe longer. (In this context, heavy drinkers are defined as people who regularly have three or more drinks a day.) A drinking habit and a poor diet often go hand in hand. Multiple high doses of acetaminophen are more dangerous for drinkers partly because their glutathione (an antioxidant produced by the liver that supports the immune system and might fight toxins) levels tend to be low because they don’t eat well.

It may sound like popping a few Tylenols after a night or two of heavy drinking can’t hurt, but the risks associated with taking Tylenol after recreational drinking are somewhat blurry. A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory group found in a review of its database and a large liver failure study that the median dose that led to liver failure was between 5,000 and 7,000 milligrams of acetaminophen per day — scarily close to the current daily limit of 4,000 milligrams (eight extra-strength Tylenol). The FDA group recommended lowering the daily limit to 3,250 milligrams (or 10 regular-strength Tylenol pills a day) to help prevent accidental overdose.

So what’s a hungover, headache-plagued gal to do — besides not drinking so much in the first place? Since the jury is still out on the exact effects of combining Advil or Tylenol with booze, it’s probably best just to tough it out. While a recent study in rats found that coffee and aspirin are the best remedies for relieving hangover symptoms, it didn’t look at possible alcohol interactions — and it is known that taking aspirin with alcohol can increase your risk of stomach bleeding. If you’re looking to remedy a hangover, your best bet is to go natural with options like this fresh-pressed hangover juice or a yoga sequence to relieve your symptoms. Even better, help prevent a hangover the next time with these tips.

September 11, 2023

American Man Vows to Drink Only Beer for 46 Days of Lent

While many Christians are giving up meat, alcohol and other vices for Lent, one man has vowed to consume a liquid-only diet of just beer.

Del Hall, who works for a brewing company in Ohio in the US, is set to drink an assortment of beer for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for more than six weeks until Easter Sunday.

The beer aficionado told Fox 6 News he took inspiration from German monks in the 17th century who swore off solid food in favour of a diet of homemade hearty bock beer for the 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.

Mr Hall said people “think I’m crazy” but the army veteran admitted he was used to pushing past mental barriers and taking on unthinkable feats.

He is keen to prove to himself this latest challenge is possible.

“I’ve run a full marathon before, 26.2 miles [42km]. I’ve done… big challenges, but this seems very daunting, so I’m just curious if I’m up to the challenge if I’m gonna be able to do it or not,” Mr Hall, of Fifty West Brewing Company, said.

What is Lent?

For Christians, Lent is a holy time of sacrifice that begins on Ash Wednesday – a day after Pancake (or Shrove) Tuesday.

It is a six-week-long event marking a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for Easter.

It usually means giving up certain pleasures to emulate the sacrifice Jesus made when he entered the desert for 40 days.

Source: https://au.news.yahoo.com/man-vows-drink-beer-46-days-lent-074911964.html

September 11, 2023

Ancient Brewing Resumes at Belgian Abbey

Grimbergen has revealed plans to build a new microbrewery inside the walls of Grimbergen Abbey near Brussels, which will combine modern techniques with brewing traditions from ancient books. Pictured is Father Karel Stautemas, subprior at Grimbergen Abbey, who is studying to be a brewer to join the microbrewery team.

(CNN)Connoisseurs of Belgium’s world-renowned beer will soon be able to taste a range of special brews made according to recipes that have been sitting untouched in the archives of Grimbergen Abbey for more than 200 years.

Monks at the Norbertine abbey recently delved into a collection of books that was almost destroyed by a fire during the French Revolution. They uncovered details on how Grimbergen beers were brewed in the past — the last time in 1798.

Its name is probably familiar to beer-lovers since Danish giant Carlsberg has a licensing deal to produce a beer known as Grimbergen for the international market.

But now the brothers of the abbey, which is located near Brussels, want to brew the original beer themselves. They are combining ancient traditions detailed in books — some dating back to the 12th century — with modern techniques to craft limited-edition batches.

“Beer has always been part of life in the abbey and we are proud of the beers we have today,” the Rev. Karel Stautemas, subprior at the abbey, said in a statement.

“We’ve really enjoyed reading more about past brewing traditions in the pages of these ancient texts. We’ve spent hours leafing through the books, which are written in Latin and Old Dutch, and have discovered ingredient lists for beers brewed in previous centuries, the hops used, the types of barrels and bottles, and even a list of the actual beers produced centuries ago.”

Karel will undertake additional formal brewing training to help with the production himself.

The books were saved by the monks when a fire ravaged the abbey in 1798, destroying it for the third time. They knocked a hole in the library wall and secretly funneled about 300 books to safety before the blaze. The microbrewery, which will be inside the abbey and will feature an on-site bar and restaurant, will open to the public in late 2020 and is projected to produce about 10,000 hectoliters.

One of the new brews is the limited-edition Grimbergen Triple D’Abbaye, which has been aged in whisky barrels for five months, a technique similar to those used in the production of Belgian beer back in the 1500s.

“To begin with, the beer is aged in French oak barrels, which were previously used for bourbon and whisky, and yeast is added to give it a slight refermentation. During this time, the coriander, fruity and spicy phenolic flavours decrease allowing the malty, sweet, vanilla flavors from the whiskey barrel to infuse itself,” reads an official description of the beer.

The Triple D’Abbaye has notes of malt, vanilla, and sweet flavors from the first barrel, supported by subtle, smoked notes from the second, the description says. All with an underlying note of spiciness and a high alcohol content of around 10.8% – so better not imbibe too much.

See more at https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/22/europe/belgian-monks-beer-intl-scli/index.html

September 11, 2023

What to Say to a Pregnant Person Drinking Alcohol

As part of our duty under Responsible Service of Alcohol we must serve alcohol in a way that does not cause harm, but what about serving alcohol to a pregnant person?

We’ve seen it over and over again, articles written by experts warning us of the dangers of pregnant drinking but how do you tell a person that they shouldn’t be drinking without crossing a line? Also how do we ensure that the person is actually pregnant and we aren’t just reading the situation wrong? It’s a touchy subject but there is something you can do.

In an article on PsychologyToday.com an expert provides some advice on the situation. She suggests reading the receptivity of the person before acting. Read more at https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/why-bad-looks-good/201908/what-say-when-you-see-pregnant-woman-drinking-alcohol

August 7, 2019

How to Be a Smart Drinker if You’re on a Diet

Are you a social drinker, who enjoys having a few drinks amongst friends? The problem is that if you’re on a diet or just watching your weight, those evening trips to the pub may actually be more damaging to your diet than you realise, especially if your preferred drinks are mixed with high calorie mixers.

Here are some simple tips to help you enjoy a drink without ruining your diet,

Set a drinking goal and hold yourself accountable. You can also ask a friend to help you be accountable. Experts say saving up your allotted drinks to disperse among social ocassions can help. Keep in mind that the daily recommended limit is 2 standard drinks.
Consume loads of water. Start and end your night off with a big glass of water. And for every alcoholic drink you have, make sure you have a glass of water as well. Alcohol is a diureti, meaning it can cause you to lose water and become dehydrated, which accounts for some of the discomfort we experience when we have a hangover. Avoid this by drinking lots of water, still or sparkling.
Eat before you drink or nibble while you’re drinking. Drinking on an empty stomach causes alcohol to be more quickly absorbed into your bloodstream, causing intoxication. Stay away from greasy foods, junk food and spicy foods, instead have a balanced diet of complex carbohydrates, protein and fats.
Avoid drinks with mixers. These have the highest levels of sugar and carbs. Pina coladas for example are notoriously bad for your diet. Instead opt for a spirit mixed with sparkling water or soda water.
Opt for low-carb drinks. Pure liquors such as vodka, whiskey, scotch, gin and tequila contain zero carbs. Wine and beers are higher in carbs.
Drink solwly. Remember that your stomach absorbs alcohol faster than your liver can metabolise it. Drink slowly to slow down the alcohol absorption.
Drink smarter. Know what you’re drinking. By knowing how many calories you’re consuming, you can make smarter choices. Also know how many standard drinks you’re consuming because you must avoid intoxication. Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nomanazish/2019/07/28/how-to-enjoy-alcohol-without-ruining-your-diet/#5b98276dbd2e

August 3, 2019