Victorian pubs are embracing the northern beer glass
Gulets are flocking to more Victorian pubs. Some are even phasing out pots for the sake of size, which some call the “sweet spot.” Who wins: the venue or the customer?
“Pot or pint?” For decades, this was the default reaction when you ordered a beer in a Victorian pub. But as the NSW tumbler of choice finds its way behind bars, you’ll increasingly be asked if you want a schooner.
One of Melbourne’s best-known bars, The Espy in St Kilda, has phased out pots and now only serves larger glasses.
“We serve stouts and pints at The Espy because they were the more popular sizes,” says venue manager Ben Burgess, declining to say when the change began and when pot sales began to decline.
In Australia, tap beer is served in sizes according to the imperial system. A pint is typically 570 millilitres, a pot (or a middy) is half that at 285 millilitres, and a gullet is about in the middle, measuring 425 millilitres.
While Victoria has long been a booze and booze state, in NSW you’d be hard-pressed to find a pint at the front bar. This state line distinction is increasingly blurred, at least on the south side of the border, with three different glasses being shelved behind the bar in Victorian pubs.
The biggest seller of The Orrong Hotel’s cask beers in Armadale is now schooners.
“The pots are smaller; a pint glass is a bit too big. The schooner is in the perfect spot,” says venue manager Nathan Thompson of New South Welshman. He says the bar has been serving gulets since at least 2022.
Orrong joins a growing number of other bars offering schooners. Some, such as the Ascot Vale Hotel, have added 425-millilitre glass. Others, such as the Builders Arms in Fitzroy, have experienced some decline.
“Gulet sits at the most convenient spot.”
Nathan Thompson, Orrong Hotel
New neighborhood bar-restaurant Daphne in Brunswick East has opted to go with gullets and pots for its draft beers.
“Gulets stay cold longer,” says Sam Peasnell, who created the drinks list. “Gulets account for 85 per cent of our sales. If we had offered pints, I’m sure the numbers would drop a bit, but schooners would still outsell them.”
The Great Northern Hotel in Carlton North does not service schooners, but customers frequently request them, according to venue manager Dale Giroud. He can see why.
“I think it’s a good size. A pot is pretty small.” [And] “With the warmer weather here, a pint can get really hot before you even finish it,” he says.
A cold beer fresh from the tap will always taste better, which gives pots and gullets an advantage over beers, especially on a hot day.
However, drinking containers require further trips to the bar, which can be a hassle if the venue is busy.
Venues will no doubt be happy to sell more beer more efficiently: gullets replacing pots mean fewer glasses to wash and less time given to serving customers.
On the other hand, after years of rising beer prices, pints may be less appealing to price-conscious consumers.
James Smith, editor Crafty Pint The website says it often hears from customers who are appalled that they paid $18 for a pint. He noticed that craft brewers were switching to four-packs of beer rather than increasing the price of six-packs. He believes that the gullet can play similar psychology.
“There’s a price ceiling. Even if you buy less, you don’t feel like you’re taking a big hit,” he says.
Typically, Carlton Draft containers cost between $7 and $7. $8.50 in Melbourne bars. If venues set their gullet prices accordingly, the price of a gullet should be between $10.50 and $12.75 (or 1.5 times the pot price).
In fact, a price check of draft beer at eight pubs in Melbourne found they were charging between $10 and $12.30; These numbers will keep consumers on the sidelines if cookware prices continue to rise.
Smith doesn’t think the pot will disappear, but he believes Victoria will continue with its three-cup system.
“We’re all fussy now, aren’t we? I’m not surprised to see gulets growing in popularity, whether it’s the price or just the experience.”
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Emma Breheny- Emma is Good Food’s Melbourne dining out and restaurant editor and editor of The Age Good Food Guide.
