Beer Literature

[RobH]

I am a slow reader, and tend to pick up a book for less than an hour, and then not pick it up again for days, sometimes weeks. That's why the books I am currently reading suit me as they do not tend to be "gripping" tales with alot of back-storey.

Back in the April school holidays we went camping up the NSW coast, and one afternoon we found ourselves in a cafe in Nabucca Heads which also had a range of second hand books. We happened to sit at a table right next to a book called "Beer, Glorious Beer", by Australian author Cyril Pearl (published in 1969) ... and so for $5 it became mine

So this afternoon as the weather has turned from sunny morning to overcast afternoon, I find myself sitting in front of the fire reading this book ... and I realised there are so many awesome tid-bits in it (poetry and stuff) that I had to copy them down somewhere... and what better place than to share them here

The book opens with the title:
"Beer, Glorious Beer
with
Incidental Observations on Great
Beer Myths, Pubs and Publicans,
Barmaids and Breathalyses, Mum,
Flip, Beery Bards, and Beer in
the Kitchen, etc., etc."

Then a Henry Lawson quote:
"Beer makes you feel as you ought to feel without beer"

So as I find little nuggets like this in the book, I will try and post them up here for all to enjoy!

 

[RobH]

"Find me a bench, and let me snore, Till, charged with ale and unconcern, I'll think it's noon at half-past four!" KENNETH SLESSOR

 

[amiddler]

HMM, seem to remember reading that one before.

Might give some others a one liner to turn into a signature, keep them comming.

 

[RobH]

At around the time of writing this book, here are the national figures for "Pints Per Head Per Year"
Czechoslovakia: 227
West Germany: 224
Belgium: 216
Australia: 201
New Zealand: 194
Austria: 182
Britain: 164
Denmark: 160
Switzerland: 134
Canada: 119
USA: 111

Methinks this has probably dropped quite a bit in currrent times.

 

[RobH]

"Malt does more than Milton can, To justify God's way to man." A. E. HOUSMAN: The New Mistress

 

[RobH]

Quote from the book:
The gallery of the church of Sygatem, Norfolk, has this inscription:
God speed the plough,
And give us good ale now...
Be merry and glade,
With good ales was this church made.

 

[RobH]

From John Still, sixteenth-century Bishop of Bath and Wells, comes the finest hymn to beer in all lliterature. From the comedy play "Gammer Curton's Needle" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gammer_Gurton's_Needle):

Back and side go bare, go bare,
Both foot and hand grow cold;
But belly, God send thee good ale enough,
Whether it be new or old.

I cannot eat but little meat,
My stomach is not good;
But sure I think that I can drink
With him that wears a hood.
Though I go bare, take ye no care,
I am nothing a-cold;
I stuff my skin so full within
Of jolly good ale and old.

Back and side go bare, go bare,
Both foot and hand grow cold;
But belly, God send thee good ale enough,
Whether it be new or old.

I have no roast but a nut-brown toast,
And a crab laid in the fire;
A little bread shall do me stead,
Much bread I not desire.
No frost nor snow, no wind, I trow,
Can hurt me if I wold;
I am so wrapt, and thoroughly lapt,
Of jolly good ale and old.

Back and side go bare, etc...

And Tib my wife, that as her life
Loveth well good ale to seek,
Full oft drinks she, till ye may see
the tears run down her cheek;
Then doth she trowl me to the bowl,
Even as the malt-worm should,
And saith, Sweetheart, I took my part
Of this jolly good ale and old.

Back and side go bare, etc...

Now let them drink till they nod and wink,
Even as good fellows should do;
They shall not miss to have the bliss
Good ale doth bring men to:
And all poor souls who have scoured bolws,
Or have them lustily troweled,
God save the lives of them and their wives,
whether they be young or old.

Back and side go bare, etc...

 

[RobH]

Was given "The Breweries of Australia - A History, by Keith M. Deutsher" last year. I found this little article quite quite funny & worth sharing....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Australian Brewers Journal. May 1908:
A Sum of Beer

According to the "New South Wales Teacher and Tutorial Guide", the following letter was sent to a country teacher:

Sir --- Will you in future give my boy
easier soms to do at nite? This is what he's
brought hoam two or three nites back: If 4
gallons of bere will fill 32 pint bottles, how
many pints and half-bottles would 9 gallons
of bere fill? Well, we tried, and could make
nothing out of it at all, and my boy cried
and laughed, and sed he didn't dare go back
in the morning without doing it.
So I had to go and buy a 9 gallon keg of
bere, which I could ill afford to do, and
then he went and borrowed a lot of
brandy bottles. We filled them, and my
boy put the number down as an answer. I
don't know whether it is right or not, as
we spilt some while doingit.
P.S. --- Please le the next som be in
water, as I am not able to buy more bere.

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[Bribie G]

Wow we're in for a treat when RobH starts reading the Karma Sutra

 

[RobH]

What! The Karma Sutra has BEER in it! Damn! :lol: