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Booze! This blog was bound to happen. Whoever has experienced the backpacker lifestyle knows that consuming alcoholic beverages is an integral part of the backpacking experience. That is right, I said it; booze is a part of the culture of our rucksack-carrying friends. Quite frankly I was surprised no one else had tried to find out what backpackers top five favourite drinks are; thus I set forth on my quest and asked around at the hostel I’m staying in to find out what people’s favourite brews / concoctions / drinks are.
After hearing countless suggestions I boiled it down to a top 5 list of favourite backpacker drinks…
5. Margaritas!
Specifically here in Sydney – the cheap margaritas at Side Bar! Quite frankly this is the one in the top 5 with which I have the least experience. However, from the one sip I had and from what I have heard it is just like good ol’ Australian Marmite; you either love it or you hate it. Then again for very little money that is a risk worth taking right?! Besides, Side Bar is a popular location for us Sydney backpackers alike, famed for its Killer Pool competition.
The lovely margaritas contain Tequila, Triple sec and some lime or lemon juice. I must be honest; I have not seen many backpackers drink this cocktail outside of the bars. However when the backpackers are heading out to Side Bar where they’re that cheap, plenty of these fancy mix drinks are being consumed; which is why this made the top five.
4. Tequila
Number four in our top five drinks is a category that holds a lot of different famous brand names from José Cuervo to Patrón, all guaranteed to get you toilet hugging drunk. This drink is served with some salt and a lime slice (a lemon slice can be used as a substitute). Why salt & lime? Yup, I was thinking the same thing… Basically the theory behind this is that the salt reduces the stingy burning sensation of the tequila and the sour taste from the slice of lime or lemon balances the flavour. At least that’s the “Theory” part… I do not know about you guys but I am always left with a horrible sour face, tingly jaws and more saliva than I bargained for. Not even to mention that my worst hangovers can be attributed to this agave-based spirit.
3. Jagerbombs
I found out that the number 3 preference of the backpackers I spoke to is a nice and flashy cocktail otherwise known as Jägerbombs.
Most backpackers usually have a hard time making up their mind plus they are fun-loving people. So what drink do they choose? Jägerbombs! Why? Well it’s easy to make up your mind when you can have the best of both worlds in one drink. Basically what you get is an Energy drink and an alcoholic shot all-in-one! So this one falls in my category of an EnerHolic-Drink 🙂
What’s so fun-loving about Jägerbombs? Glad you asked. Well Jägerbombs are pretty fun to present and drink. When backpackers order them with their friends usually the glasses with RedBull are lined up, and an empty glass is placed at one end. (See Picture) Shot glasses of Jägermeister are placed on the edges of the glasses.
You have one of your buddies do the honours of raising the empty glass which tips the shot that will fall in the glass of RedBull (bomb) while simultaneously tipping the next shot to fall in the next glass of RedBull, giving a theatrically-entertaining-domino’s like-experience.
2. Tooheys
I am starting to feel drunk already by just seeing the pictures and writing about the customary backpackers favourites. Talking about favourites; the next two in our top 5 are by far the most consumed drinks by the backpackers at the hostel I’m staying at. Believe it or not but unlike most of the drinks in this top 5 list, Beers I do have a lot of experience with. Then again I am Dutch so you can’t blame me.
When I stepped foot on Australian soil I did not quite know what to expect from Australian beer as far as taste is concerned. This changed when I faced my first glass of Tooheys; quite frankly, it’s a darn good beer. Believe me this means something coming from a person who was born & raised in the home country of Heineken.
Another benefit of this drink is that you can order it in the sizes of a Half Pint, Schooner or a Pint. So even on a backpacker-budget you are able to grab a half pint.
1. Goon!
Ahh yes number one, no big surprise here. If you have drunk Goon it is a sure sign that you’ve been backpacking in Australia. The origins of the word Goon are unknown… just like the origins of the taste. “Goon” is basically a boxed wine, consisting of a cardboard box with a plastic pouch inside containing the wine, which can then be turned into a pillow…
The Goon I usually see being drank around here by the backpackers is white wine being marketed as “Soft fruity sweet white wine” yet in my opinion that is up for debate. Some of the Goon does not go down that well and kicks like a mule. Here’s a tip though; Mix it with some juice (preferably orange juice… yes stay away from the tomato juice) and it will taste a whole lot better. Yet a backpackers love for Goon is endless. At first you might think it tastes horrible, however you’ll learn to love it.
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