# Flag Ale ?



## Mr Bond (17/2/07)

Just finished a "Cliff Hardy" crime novel by Peter Corris.
In this particular tale the protagonist is reminiscing about his first case in the very early 70's.
As is the case with all Hardy stories he makes reference to alcohol a fair bit.
One of the beers he mentioned was "Flag Ale",which I'd never heard of.

Some googling has shown it to be a tooheys product that dates back to sometime in the 50's.

More googling and I found this picture of a very jingoistic can.But thats about it along with a few old ads etc.....

I'm more curious as to whether any one on this forum is old enough to remember it and what it was like.
Was it a true ale in an english sense with hops and flava or was it just another pale fizzy lager.
Given that Tooheys made and still do the Old it may have been something half decent that went by the by cos it was and old timers beer.

If it was a true ale with character it may be worth trying to source a recipe and do it as an historical replication.

I intend contacting LN and asking about it from an historical curiosity point of view.

Cheers Dave


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## Barry (17/2/07)

Good Day
I used to drink flag ale in by late teens and early twenties ie 1970's. I liked it more than New, KB etc. I remember it as having some more taste, slightly more hops and bitterness and being a bit darker. Tooheys version of DA? It still was very mainstream but it could have been dropped because it had some taste. It could have been an ale but I doubt it, too clean.
Hard to remember over all the years and my tastes have improved geatly since then.


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## dicko (17/2/07)

Hi BL,

I have drank Tooheys Flag Ale many years ago, I might add when beers were much more like beer should be.
I agree with Barry and it did have a most distinctive hop flavour.
On todays values I may say it was possibly EKG or something close.
Aussie beers of that era also had a tad of hop aroma IIRC.
Flag Ale was not my favourite as I much preffered Resch's Dinner Ale (DA as Barry quoted)
Megaswill was a better drop in the sixties than it is today.

Cheers


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## Mr Bond (17/2/07)

Thanks for the replies Gentlemen.  

I will see what I can get out of LN as to style ingredients etc.


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## lonte (17/2/07)

My father drank Toohey's Flag Ale exclusively (he is 72 now). It was the first beer I ever tasted but my memories of it are unfortunately tainted by the fact that most of it I drank was in the form of a Shandy; about 4 parts lemonade to beer.


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## bonj (17/2/07)

I only know it from this little jingle I learnt as a kid:

Tooheys Flag Ale, 
Tooheys Flag Ale,
In a can, or in a glass.
It's the healthfood of the nation.
Stick your icecream up your arse!


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## bindi (17/2/07)

Flag........ It was the first beer out of Qld I had tried, when I joined up in the Military in Feb 67 we were sent south 2nd class [sitting up] on a train from South Brissie changing in Nth NSW and again in Sydney for Vic, well the dining car had only Flag Ale so we drank it dry untill it was filled again after changing trains in NSW, the MPs went crazy and no hope of stopping us.
Oh the memories, some gone forever.


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## Mr Bond (17/2/07)

bindi said:


> Oh the memories, some gone forever.



So I guess any memory of style ,colour, flava ,aroma have gone too.


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## bindi (17/2/07)

Brauluver said:


> So I guess any memory of style ,colour, flava ,aroma have gone too.




Not a chance   We would drink anything that even looked like beer, did not know sh$t from clay, that persisted for years.
Youth is wasted on the young. B)


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## poppa joe (17/2/07)

My Father drank Flag Ale...And..Dirty Annie(DA)
From what i remember..You could taste something???
I cant remember what...(had a go when he was not around)
Never tasted it since..
would like to taste it again.....BEAUTIFUL..Not like today..
Got a bottle of DA sitting on a shelf...Wondering what i should do with it..??????
Would it be any good.?????
PJ
PS.Dont tell me to send it and you will let me know.. :chug:


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## David Bullen (1/12/20)

Absolutely loved Flag Ale I am putting down a coopers draught with the number 2 brew enhancer and EKG hops hoping that it is something like Flag. Lots of flavour so not a popular modern drink.


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