# Tanglehead Brewery And The Dead Parrot Sketch



## hughman666 (13/4/09)

Just got back from an easter weekend in Albany which was a great time. We stayed in a cottage approx 300m from the centre of town so it was really convenient. We went out to Nonna's for dinner which is a great Italian place (highly recommend the Chicken Romano). Despite past Tanglehead experiences being somewhat disappointing, we did have a couple of Southern White Ales on Thursday which were pretty nice and as such we stopped in on the way to Nonna's for a couple of pre-dinner beers. Having not had much luck with the Pilsner or seasonal brews, we opted again for the fairly reliable Southern White Ale which is a solid hefeweizen.

The fun begins.

2 x Southern White Ales are poured. They are clear. Very clear. I have a sniff - butterscotch. Quick sip, it's a pilsner/lager effort (the Aussie Lager being the current seasonal).

So I say to the bar guy, "Hey mate this isn't a wheat." He apologises saying he must have poured them from the seasonal tap, puts them to one side and pours 2 more from the Southern White Ale tap. The fizz clears and we are again looking at 2 very clear beers. Quick sniff & sip. Same thing.

I suggest that maybe the wrong keg is hooked up. He disappears. A lady appears now. She says straight off the bat that we were looking at 2 Southern White Ales and not Pilsners or Lagers.

"Sorry" I say, "but these aren't wheat beers. It's supposed to be cloudy and you can usually smell banana in it."

"Oh no, that's because it's a new keg. They always pour clear at the start and then get cloudier later." She says with a knowledgeable expression.

"Really? I thought it was the other way around." I ask.

"No, sorry, you're mistaken. That is definitely a wheat beer." Starting to get a bit terse. It's 7pm and there are quite a few people at the bar.

"But what about the banana? All I can smell is butterscotch..." I'm looking completely puzzled.

"I can smell heaps of banana in that, it's definintely the wheat." She turns her back and walks away.

At this point my wife rests her hand on my arm, tilts her head to one side and gives me a look that says "forget it". Like a naughty boy, I stop being difficult and resign myself to sipping the fizzy butterscotch cocktail, all the while wondering where I had seen this sort of thing before....

...ah that's right, Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch.


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## KingPython (13/4/09)

This will not end well.


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## randyrob (13/4/09)




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## big_alk (14/4/09)

King Python said:


> This will not end well.



probably not!
I resigned last November after numerous and ongoing disagreements with my business partners...


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## Bribie G (14/4/09)

I have made a resolution not to display my beer knowledge in public any more.

Today in Dan Murphy's a young couple in their early 20s had a carton of TED in their trolley but were buying a few odd bottles of specialty beer to take home and try... an encouraging sign of course...

She had a bottle of Youngs double Chocolate Stout in her hand .... "Hey Nathan look... chocolate beer.... what's this stout stuff? What is stout?"

Uncle BribieG pipes up "Oh that's a very black English beer a bit like Guinness and the 'chocolate' refers to a dark chocolatey malt they use ..."

Young lady is at this point is looking pleadingly at Nathan 'please rescue me from this child molester'. Uncle Bribie politely changes aisle and inspects the offerings from Poland, Ukraine etc....

Can't help some people. <_<


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## flattop (14/4/09)

hmm a drunk and a child molester.... only young ppl can buy alcohol because for them it's a binge ... for the oldies it's "habit"...

Bad uncle Bribie....
I don't go to the grog shop often but when i do i stock up, spend a couple of hundred... always feel like an alco walking out with that much gear.... but i may only buy up 4 times a year...
although i did pop into a shop the other day and grab a leffe traveller... just one... i felt naked walking out with just a stubbie


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## Fatgodzilla (14/4/09)

big_alk said:


> probably not!
> I resigned last November after numerous and ongoing disagreements with my business partners...




Always a problem when your dreams and best efforts collides heavily with commerciality. Life sucks at times. 

Have you dived into the game again or once bitten, twice shy ?


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## big_alk (14/4/09)

Fatgodzilla said:


> Always a problem when your dreams and best efforts collides heavily with commerciality. Life sucks at times.
> 
> Have you dived into the game again or once bitten, twice shy ?


taking a break for now

learnt lots of lessons for next time! (whenever that is...)


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## Fatgodzilla (14/4/09)

big_alk said:


> taking a break for now
> 
> learnt lots of lessons for next time! (whenever that is...)




waiting for that Lotto win .. when it comes in, I'll call ya


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## brendanos (14/4/09)

Who do you think is brewing there at the moment Al?


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## big_alk (14/4/09)

brendanos said:


> Who do you think is brewing there at the moment Al?


Beau is, he's doing the best he can under the circumstances


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## hughman666 (14/4/09)

big_alk said:


> Beau is, he's doing the best he can under the circumstances



i remember he did an ESB a while ago which was pretty good and the blueberry wheat (whoever brewed it) was a good'un. maybe whistling jack wants to step up and have a crack  

the place does seemed to have changed since late last year (when i was there last), the bands are now playing in a shit-hole next door, leaving the stage in the main bar empty.

i really do want to like this place as the location and atmosphere etc can be fantastic. drinking southern white ales on a windy winter's night, watching a blues band and munching on pork crackling makes for an awesome night out.

that place has so much potential!


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## pbrosnan (14/4/09)

big_alk said:


> probably not!
> I resigned last November after numerous and ongoing disagreements with my business partners...


How did you find the locals regarded the in house brewed beers? Were they willing to give it a go or did they all go for Becks (cause it's cool y'know)?


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## Whistlingjack (14/4/09)

big_alk said:


> Beau is, he's doing the best he can under the circumstances



Good comment, under the circumstances.

What could be more galling, than to be replaced by your assistant, most likely being paid a youth wage?

He learnt from you, so he must be good, right?

WJ (with tongue firmly placed in cheek)


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## big_alk (14/4/09)

Guys, please understand I don't want to say too much more, lest I be accused of sour grapes or white anting the brewery I founded almost 3 years ago.

I will say a couple of things: in my time at the helm/mash paddle, Tanglehead beers always accounted for about 60% of on-site draught beer sales; and the total brewery sales, including wholesale, increased by over 40% a year.


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## Vlad the Pale Aler (14/4/09)

No comment.


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## Whistlingjack (14/4/09)

big_alk said:


> Guys, please understand I don't want to say too much more, lest I be accused of sour grapes or white anting the brewery I founded almost 3 years ago.
> 
> I will say a couple of things: in my time at the helm/mash paddle, Tanglehead beers always accounted for about 60% of on-site draught beer sales; and the total brewery sales, including wholesale, increased by over 40% a year.



"Three guys walk into a brewpub, and each order a beer..."

WJ


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## MrDave (15/4/09)

Are you going to tell them the punchline or are you going to follow suit vis-a-vis discretion being the better part of valour?
:icon_cheers:


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## Whistlingjack (15/4/09)

MrDave said:


> Are you going to tell them the punchline or are you going to follow suit vis-a-vis discretion being the better part of valour?
> :icon_cheers:



Only one is satisfied with his choice...

WJ


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## MrDave (15/4/09)

Whistlingjack said:


> Only one is satisfied with his choice...
> 
> WJ



Apologies WJ, that was directed at the original post, not your joke.
I should have quoted.


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## AlphaOne (15/4/09)

BribieG said:


> I have made a resolution not to display my beer knowledge in public any more.
> 
> Today in Dan Murphy's a young couple in their early 20s had a carton of TED in their trolley but were buying a few odd bottles of specialty beer to take home and try... an encouraging sign of course...
> 
> ...



The Youngs stout does have actual chocolate in there, bars _and_ essence (the double bit) if i'm not mistaken


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