A frequent search query that people arrive here is for “Steinlager Pure in Australia.” Rather than arriving to anything useful they have reached my Steinlager Pure review. Until now I was under the impression that this beer was simply not available over the ditch but I was wrong. Today I spotted a shelf full of it in the All Nations Backpacker Bar near the corner of Flinders St and Swanston St in the Melbourne CBD. I believe it was brought in for Waitangi Day, but it seems like they have a fair bit in stock.

This post again has been posted by Bruce Thurlow, of The Black Keys Fan Lounge fame. 

I was asked this question recently when I was randomly asked to participate in a consumer survey about Beer. I passed on answering this specific question because I had no idea, in my 34 years of male-ness, what exactly a “guy who had his act together” was. The interviewer was also not obliged to clarify.

Participating in the survey gave me quite an interesting journey into a beer marketer’s mind while I waited for my girlfriend outside a clothes shop in a Direct Factory Outlet shopping centre.  This was obviously perfect territory to hunt for the right socio-economic group of bored and amiable males who drink beer and can grunt to survey questions.

The survey was interested in what beer advertisements and products I recognised from photos and how I connected with and perceived beer brands. I must say I was a disappointing contributor when there were some questions about the Heineken mini-keg. Equally, I recognised a tv ad but importantly couldn’t name the brand which turned out to be Heineken.  It’s unlikely I’ll get a Christmas card from Heineken this year. Although I did get a free lottery ticket for participating in the entire survey.

Arguably my favourite question was: What beer would you buy for a session with mates? I’m not sure what market segment the market researcher was trying to appeal to when they wrote that question. I nevertheless chose through gritted teeth the cheapest beer I could from the beer-picture cards the interviewer showed me.  If I was ever to have a “session with mates” I reckon I’d make it a cheap session, I thought.

Another angle the survey concentrated on was the various ‘Blonde’ beers that have been heavily marketed in Australia recently. The likes of Bondi Blonde, Pure Blonde, Hahn Super Dry.  This market has grown immensely as this style of beer has been cleverly but incorrectly positioned as a healthy low carbohydrate unisex option for the apparently young and vain. It seems the biggest supermarket chain Woolworths is even getting in on the act now and releasing its own Platinum Blonde brand. I’m proud to say I drink none of them.

All this beer-thinking had me in need of a drink by the end of the week.  I went out with four girls and three of them interestingly drank beer. “4 pots of Carlton (Draught) and a Gin and Tonic, thanks” they growled at the barman.  Observing this I couldn’t help but think it’ll be some time until we see any beer company openly and directly market to women and ask them in shopping centre surveys: Which beer would a woman who had her act together drink?

Editors note: The beer a guy with his act together would drink would clearly be Guinness. Or maybe the free one, or maybe the cold one. Who knows, it’s actually a really stupid question.