Reduced-strength beer scorned

Australia’s punters are bitter over the latest change in the recipe of Australia’s favourite beer VB, writes John Harvey. In August 2009, Carlton and United Breweries (CUB), Foster’s local beer unit, cut the alcohol content of VB by 0.2 percent, saving tens of millions of dollars a year in beer tax and preventing a price rise while promising that the taste would be unchanged.

But many regular drinkers are upset at what they see is a definite flavour change. CUB spokesman Paul Donaldson felt compelled to announce that the brewer had received very few complaints and insisted: “We wouldn’t mess with the taste of VB. There is nothing blokes can buy for AUD 5 that means more to them than their beer. Master brewers worked for six months to perfect the reduced-strength beer. We consulted 1,000 loyal VB drinkers and no one could pick it”, he said.

We say: well, if they couldn’t tell the difference, they weren’t loyal drinkers. Simple as that.