Foster's beer - pleasantly surprised!

[Fantic125]

I have a bit of a problem, and hopefully someone may be able to help.

Having grown up in South Australia (and having helped Cooper's Brewery remain financial for the better part of the last 30 years) I have always considered Foster's (and VB for that matter) to be a bit of a joke as a beer (mind you, I can't remember the last time I actually drank one).

Well, last night as part of a meal package at the hotel I'm staying at in Bangalore, a pint of Foster's was included in the (very tasty) Thai buffet on offer.

The initial response from both me and the other Aussie I was travelling with was; "I'm Australian, I don't drink that s**t! The only reason they sell it overseas is because no one drinks it at home!"

However, the free pint of Foster's was not able to be changed to another beer so it was reluctantly taken. And, it wasn't actually that bad! In fact, the Kingfisher Ultra that followed tasted quite insipid!

Has anyone else experienced Foster's as being a nice tasting beer, or do I just need to spend more time at home to recalibrate my tastebuds?

 

[Mal]

Used to drink it a lot in the UK. It was cheap, available at pretty much every pub and off-licence, and reasonable tasting. Did the job!

I wouldn't call it a quality beer though!

Have bought it in Australia, and while drinkable, really isn't something I would choose.

Presume Fosters is brewed locally in India somewhere ... that could influence the taste.

 

[medhead]

At least it wasn't swan, aka black death.

I once thought, at a 21st party many years ago, that if I drink this 6 pack of foster's light quick enough I might get drunk. Too much volume too little ethanol. Haven't touch the stuff since.

 

[tuapekastar]

I can't recall the last time I saw an open Foster's container, let alone drank one. Yet it was staple diet beer when I was much younger. Is it possible, as with some other beer brands, that Foster's in Country A is a bit different to Foster's in Country B? (I just saw that Mal broached this very subject).

It's probably quite OK to drink, just have not touched one for donkey's years. I will add my voice to the (small) chorus of disapproval for VB though. :shock:

From my (much) younger days, a little taunt that was sometimes sung to interstaters (I have used Toohey's in this, but substitute as you wish):

To the tune of <I have no idea, I can sing it but don't know what the tune is called>

Foster's Lager, Foster's Lager,
In a bottle or a glass,
It's the health food a of a nation,
Stick yer Toohey's up yer @rse

Foster's Lager, Foster's Lager,
In a barrel or a drum,
It's the health food a of a nation,
Stick yer Toohey's up yer bum!

Naturally, this no longer is an accurate representation of my tastes in beer.

 

[simongr]

Actually Fosters in the UK is a normal ok drinking beer - light in colour and flavour, enough alcomohol to get you drunk but not enough to turn you into a wife beater (aka Stella Stella Artois - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

 

[AdMEL]

Fosters is brewed in many countries other than Australia.

The last time I recall drinking it was probably 10 years ago, on tap at The London in Port Melbourne - thought it was drinkable, and much better than VB and probably better than Carlton Draught too!

Given it really hasn't been available on tap in Australia for 20 years or more and no-one chooses to buy it from a bottle shop, I wonder if the misgivings are based more on urban myth than reality?

 

[Mal]

One of my locals has fosters in long neck. No idea how much they sell, but obviously they sell some.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using AustFreqFly

 

[simonpenny408]

Its one of the dark secrets of regular travelers to India that we end up drinking a lot of Fosters. I try not to mention it

 

[Fantic125]

Presume Fosters is brewed locally in India somewhere ... that could influence the taste.

Yep! Checked tonight - brewed in Mysore.

It does seem much tastier than the aussie version. Might have to track a local Foster's down at home next week to compare...

 

[nate89]

My understanding is this is quite normal for a lot of beers.

I.E. The general theme is locally beers may be likened to something coming out of a dogs rear end, but internationally it is tastes fine.

Corona, for example, is apparently not that popular in Mexico yet here it is okay (although some argue you shouldn't need fruit for a beer...).

Or Budweiser in the US I personally found pretty bad, but the version here is okay again.

I haven't tried an actual Japanese Kirin, but the Kirin brewed here would probably be different

 

[pshepvic]

All Japanese beer is good both in and outside Japan!

From memory the Kirin and Sapporo sold here is brewed in Canada, and Asahi in Thailand (was drinking that today actually). The best is Yebisu if you can find it.

I've had Fosters overseas before and it was ok, but not great. At an Outback steakhouse in Dallas actually - we drank it until we found they had Coopers pale ale! (they even knew to roll the bottle before serving!)

Someone told me once that Fosters is pretty much the same as Crown Lager and just shoved into a different bottle. Not sure if that's true or not though.


Sent from my iPhone using AustFreqFly app

 

[HW]

I have a bit of a problem, and hopefully someone may be able to help.

Having grown up in South Australia (and having helped Cooper's Brewery remain financial for the better part of the last 30 years) I have always considered Foster's (and VB for that matter) to be a bit of a joke as a beer (mind you, I can't remember the last time I actually drank one).

Well, last night as part of a meal package at the hotel I'm staying at in Bangalore, a pint of Foster's was included in the (very tasty) Thai buffet on offer.

The initial response from both me and the other Aussie I was travelling with was; "I'm Australian, I don't drink that s**t! The only reason they sell it overseas is because no one drinks it at home!"

However, the free pint of Foster's was not able to be changed to another beer so it was reluctantly taken. And, it wasn't actually that bad! In fact, the Kingfisher Ultra that followed tasted quite insipid!

Has anyone else experienced Foster's as being a nice tasting beer, or do I just need to spend more time at home to recalibrate my tastebuds?

My experience has been that the export version seems to taste different than the domestic version. Whether there is any factual basis behind it I don't know because I never drink it when I'm at home.

 

[bob w]

Is Foster's brewed in the U.S. or do we get the original here?

 

[horseman]

Fosters in the us is made by oil can breweries over there, it tastes better then the local stuff, my fav over there is fosters premium in the green cans

 

[Mwenenzi]

)Someone told me once that Fosters is pretty much the same as Crown Lager and just shoved into a different bottle. Not sure if that's true or not though

That is my understanding from someone who has access to all the P&ID drawings. Crowne is Fosters to a tighter range of the specification parameters.

Is Foster's brewed in the U.S. or do we get the original here?

Brewed in the USA. Some to many years ago Foster sold there overseas breweries, so they licensed the manufacture.
Fosters is now owned by SABMiller I was a shareholder until the take over
The Fosters brothers who started the business were from the USA (gold rush days)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foster's_Group

Edit: from wikipedia (
Foster's Lager is an internationally distributed Australian brand of 5.2% abv pale lager.[1][2] It is a product of Foster's Group brewed under licence in several countries, including the U.S.[3] and Russia.[4] The European rights to the beer are owned by Heineken International, who brew and distribute a 4% ABV Foster's in most European countries,[5] including the United Kingdom, Greece, France, Belgium, Portugal, Poland, Finland, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and Ireland. In the United States[6] and India,[7] rights to the brand are owned by SABMiller.[8] In Canada, Foster's is brewed by Molson Canada under licence from Foster's Brewing International.[citation needed]

 

[bob w]

Fosters in the us is made by oil can breweries over there, it tastes better then the local stuff, my fav over there is fosters premium in the green cans

My son-in-law started drinking it ( in bottles). I'll try to find the premium so he can do better

 

[whatmeworry]

Weird that I couldn't it near me. Seems the light ice version is sold more widely in Melbourne. If I want the full strength version I have to go to the other side of town!
Fosters Any Size : Boozle.com.au : Search for Australia's cheapest alcohol prices

 

[YQY]

All Rite Aid/Duane Reade Pharmacies in NYC were selling Foster's Cans (25.4 oz/750ml). After reading this thread I should have got one.

The Heineken sold at the pharmac_ was not too bad, they were brewed in Holland.