Australia Day study assesses which beer drinkers are most patriotic

Carlton Draught, Australia’s most popular beer, was drunk by around one-sixth of tipplers, which together accounted for 37% of the country’s population. CUB’s pacesetter was followed by Victoria Bitter and XXXX Gold, with 12% opting for them, then Coopers Pale Ale and Crown Lager.

True blue Aussies​

However, in terms of patriotism, the most fervent drink XXXX Gold, Cascade Premium Light, VB and Crown Lager.

In defining “patriotic”, researchers from Roy Morgan Research found these consumers to me more likely than other beer drinkers to believe that “Australian beer is the only beer worth drinking​” and that “imported beer is a waste of money​”. XXXX Gold and VB drinkers were particularly vehement in this regard.

This group also tend to be more likely than drinkers of other Australian beer brands to “try to buy Australian-made products as often as possible​”, and not just beer.

Whereas 80% of beer drinkers agreed with the statement “I consider myself Australian​”, 94% of Cascade Premium Light drinkers, 90% of Crown Lager drinkers and 88% of XXXX Gold drinkers felt the same way.

The drinkers of these four iconic Australian brands were significantly more likely than the average beer drinker to be aged 50 and older. The study found that this group could often be found hanging out at the RSL or Leagues Club, where they might well be playing the pokies.

State secrets​

“Many of us will be cracking open a cold one on Australia Day, but some will be doing it with particularly ‘true blue’ passion​,” said Angela Smith of Roy Morgan Research. 

“It would have been surprising if Cascade drinkers weren’t among them, since Cascade is Australia’s oldest operating brewery. Surprisingly, drinkers of Cascade Premium Light are more likely to be from Victoria than Tasmania, where the brewery is based​.”

Of the top-selling Australian beers featured in the results, James Boag, also from the Apple Isle, is far more popular among Tasmanians.

Not surprisingly, XXXX Gold drinkers overwhelmingly tend to be from Queensland, while VB and Crown Lager are most popular in Victoria.

“Of course, there is infinitely more to beer drinkers than their patriotic tendencies. For example, our data reveals that people who drink James Squire are much more likely than the average beer drinker to have read a novel in the last three months and self-identify as ‘a bit of an intellectual’, as well as being an avid gig-goer and possibly even a musician,” added Smith.