Victoria Bitter

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VB Stubbie

A can of Victoria Bitter (VB)

Victoria Bitter, or VB, as it is commonly called, has the highest market share of all beer sold in Australia, both on tap and packaged. Victoria Bitter is brewed by Carlton & United Beverages, a subsidiary of Foster's Group, brewers of the Fosters brand beer. Despite its name, it is technically a fairly standard commercial lager rather than a bitter, although perhaps slightly more bitter than many. It is available in New Zealand, the UK, and to a limited extent, other countries abroad.

It was introduced in the mid 1960s with an innovative television advertising campaign featuring the orchestral score from the film The Magnificent Seven, images of working-class Australians at work and play, and a voice-over by notable Australian actor John Meillon. The campaign was used until quite recently. Paul Hester, late drummer of Crowded House once appeared in a VB advert. Ads now consist of the slogan "For a hard earned thirst, you need a big cold beer, and the best cold beer is Vic, Victoria Bitter". The most recent advertising campaign features David Boon, although a number of other ads are occasionally screened, such as one which promotes Australia's love of barbecuing meat, including its national emblems, the kangaroo and emu.

Currently one third of the packaged beer sales in Australia are of VB. It is available in cans ("tinnies"), bottles ("stubbies"), short necked 375ml bottles, "Long Necks" or "King Browns" 800mls and "Twisty's" (250mls in the State of NSW)). As of 2005 VB also comes in 500ml tinnies.

In a testament to its long history and popularity, VB has acquired a number of nicknames, ranging from the abbbreviated "Vic Bitter", polite "Very Best", to the less polite "Vomit Beer (or Bucket)", "Vomit Bomb", "Virgin Busters" and comedic "Vitamin B" as well as a variety of vulgar terms starting with "Vagina" ( such as "Vaginal Backwash" ). The distinctive green cans may also be referred to as "Boonies", "We best be smashin' down some boonies ASAP" or "Green Grenades" for their ability to be thrown into the pool on a hot day as you would throw a hand grenade. Overall VB has somewhat of a reputation as the drink of choice for yobboes and is not considered a drink of high standing in spite of its popularity.

VB was one of the few Carlton & United (CUB) full-strength beers to escape a lowering of alcohol percentage in 2002 from 4.9% to 4.6%.

[edit] Vic Bitter and Tooheys

Prior to the ending of a more or less gentleman's agreement to keep Tooheys beer out of Victoria and Carlton United Breweries (CUB) out of New South Wales, each beer was quite territorial to each respective state. This agreement broke in 1999 in the Melbourne Beer War. Until then, drinking a VB in NSW or vice versa in a pub was positively courageous.

To gain market share, Tooheys would sell their Tooheys Red and CUB their Vic' Bitter interstate as a 'twenty dollar slab' across state lines, some ten dollars lower than the home state's brew. Both beers quickly became the token beer you'd supply for party or BBQ guests, but you'd never drink yourself.

Many privately owned pubs and clubs who were frustrated with CUB's distribution gladly became a Tooheys pub. Around the same time, VB became available on tap (traditionally Carlton Draught was the tap beer) to compete with Tooheys. Prices have now stabilised, but the Australian beer market is more competitive than ever. And for better or for worse, VB is now the dominant brand in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

[edit] Marketing & Promotions

Talking "Boony" Figurine

In 2005, VB had started a promotion where David Boon became the face of Victoria Bitter (VB) beer for its 2005/06 summer advertising campaign, called Boonanza. Part of the promotion was the sale of a talking David Boon figurine with purchases of cartons of beer, which would make comments when prompted by Channel Nine commentary.

In 2006, this promotion had returned for the 2006/7 Ashes series now called Boonanza II which now included former England cricket captain Ian Botham and a talking figurine was created for him alongside the David Boon figurine.