No excuse for overindulging

My goodness, hasn't spring hit with a vengeance, what with the mercury topping 30 degrees in the new scale mid-week?
So much so that your correspondent did something really quite unthinkable for a work day - he popped into a Fortitude Valley licensed establishment for just the one drink to cool himself down.
I tell a lie in fact, because - and I have no idea what came over me, and I can only put it down to heat stress - I not only ordered my standard Pimms Dakota and lime slice in a large glass with no ice, but a small lemonade chaser to go with it.
I felt like a naughty schoolboy - well I did until I overheard a group of young men at the adjoining table all boasting about what they intended to drink at the upcoming National Festival of Beers at the Royal National and Industrial Association of Queensland showgrounds.
As you may know, some 150 beers from around Australia are on display at these wonderful festivals, and these young men thought it was somehow manly to boast about "downing a barrel full of Dogbolter".
Others had absolutely no shame whatsoever in describing what would be the likely outcome of imbibing to excess, saying they had never "ruthed on a Redback" or "technicolour-yawned on a Tenterfield Saddler".
As someone who had always preached everything in moderation, especially to my own child, I was appalled at the increasingly brazen boasts and oneupmanship as their callow talk went around the table.
I've always been one for giving youth their head for they, like we before them, must experience the evils of excess to truly appreciate a temperate disposition.
But, really, I had a good mind to interrupt their discussion and plead with them to use the Beer Festival in the manner for which it was designed.
I normally don't boast about such associations, but the festival, now in its 14th year, is the brainchild of my very good friends at the Story Bridge Hotel, Richard Dreary and his beautiful sister Jan.
And I know it would appal them to think that silly young men would be planning to go along the weekend after next and drink far too much as would be good for them.
I know from past festivals that the Drurys literally frown on people who stupidly buy a large swag of tickets with little or no hope of using them all, even if they had the ability to drink like another old friend of mine, Ray Barrett.
The Dearies much prefer patrons to buy, say, just a couple of tickets each, take their time in looking over all the beers, ales and stouts available, and then at their leisure enjoying maybe two that aren't normally available in Brisbane.
Now that's what I call responsible licensees, and I've seen it time and time again at their hotel proper.
Some Lions fan will become just a little too excited when a big game involving the AFL premiers is being broadcast on the hotel's excellent giant screen, and losing track of the amount he has already consumed, will attempt to order a third or even a fourth schooner.
That's when you'll always see Richard move in quickly, remonstrate with the problem drinker and see them safely on their way.
No, the Dairies run a tight ship and that's the reason patrons will be able to enjoy the upcoming festival in the most convivial and pleasant of surroundings.
Frowning on excess has always been the Druries' key to success - and we should all applaud them for that.

The National Festival of Beers runs from Friday to Sunday, September 19 to 21 at the RNA Showgrounds at Bowen Hills. Entry fee is $10 a day.

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