The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #38119   Message #536553
Posted By: GUEST,imbibulator
27-Aug-01 - 11:41 PM
Thread Name: Whiskey Jars, Guinness Pails - Irish Idioms?
Subject: RE: Whiskey Jars, Guinness Pails - Irish Idioms?
When first I came to Melbourne town 40+ years ago the 'hotels' closed at 6pm and the six o clock swill was all the go. Beer was the universal drink, and real strong, but you could hardly taste the first few swallows because it was served so cold!!It was served in glasses (7 fluid ounces) and 'pots'(10 fl. ounces). You usually drank in 'schools' and each member was expected to 'shout', even if the school had a dozen members which it often did. Whosever shout it was had to carry multiple pots from the bar to where the school was congregated through a milling, sweating, thirsty mob of workers all trying to catch the barman's eye and get as much beer into themselves as possible before tackling the commuter trains and trams home, was a skill that denoted the seasoned drinker.