Source : Perth Now news
An interesting change in Aussie beer drinking habits has emerged, suggesting The Simpsons may have been right all along.
In an unforgettable moment from the cartoon family’s visit to Australia, Homer is visibly disappointed by an enormous beer served to him in a pub after requesting “one of those famous giant beers”.
More than 30 years on from the iconic episode’s release, it appears the doughnut-loving father is not the only one chasing a big beer Down Under.
New figures have shown Aussies are beginning to embrace a “bigger is better” approach in the boozers, as more and more pubgoers opt for larger measures.
Research carried out by Square has found that a growing number of punters are opting to order either jugs or pints of beer when they visit their local.
And while the smaller servings, such as schooners, do still outsell larger quantities, the sale of jugs and pints is increasing at twice the rate as smaller serves.
The research examined beer sales at thousands of bars, pubs and breweries across Australia from June 2024 to May 2025.
It found that the number of larger servings enjoyed a 10 per cent year-on-year growth, compared with five per cent growth for any measure under a pint.
The phenomenon has been dubbed “boozeflation”, amid speculation that punters may be seeking better value by buying in bulk.
“Australians may be cutting back in other parts of their budget, but a beer at the pub doesn’t look like one of those sacrifices. People aren’t trading down,” Square head of account management Dmitriy Shurapey said.
“Value could be part of it, because for a lot of people a pint simply feels like the better value choice.
“Another is the jug. When you’re out with a group, a jug is an easy way to share and cut down on trips to the bar.”
Mr Shurapey said the data showed that Aussie love of the local was “as strong as ever”.
“The usual expectation is that when times are tough, people trade down to a smaller or cheaper drink. We didn’t see that,” he added.
“The other surprise was low and no-alcohol beer. For all the talk about the sober-curious trend, low and no-alcohol beer and cider made up just 0.61 per cent of recorded bar transactions, up slightly from 0.57 per cent.
“It is growing, but at the pub it is still a long way from mainstream.”
The data also showed another interesting change in habits, with midweek pub trips also enjoying a boost.
While Saturday remained the busiest day of the week for boozers, the fastest growing days in trade were Mondays and Wednesdays.
Does size really matter?
While the data showed larger serves making up ground, smaller measures remained the dominant option.
Between June 1, 2025 and May, 2026, almost 4.6 million smaller serves were pulled across the bars included in the data.
This is compared to 2.35 million large pours.
Victoria-based TWØBAYS Brewing chief executive Richard Jeffares said he would personally always favour a schooner – but understood why the tide might turn.
“There is a history of going to the pub and ordering a pint, but for me, I will always go for a schooner,” he said.
“Lots of people will favour variety, so if you only go to the pub for an hour, perhaps you can fit in two schooners but maybe not two pints, so will want to try something different.
“But there is also the feeling of getting a bit more value out of a pint, along with not having to bother going back to the bar.”
Mr Jeffares said the brewery’s taproom had never sold pints, but its Collingwood Freehouse had introduced the measure – under particular pressure from English staff members.
“Personally, I just think the beer tastes better in a schooner – it stays colder while you’re drinking it and doesn’t go flat,” he said.
The British influence on our drinking habits
The data shows that New South Wales and Victoria saw significant growth in sales of smaller serves, with NSW responsible for 34 per cent of all small measures.
Victoria saw a 30pc year-on-year increase, also making up 29.8pc of the national total of small serve sales.
However, Justin Joiner, a director of Stomping Ground Brewing Company said that historically, the state leaned more towards pints than smaller serves – although pots also play their part.
“In Victoria, schooners have not really felt much of a thing historically, although they have grown in the last 15 or 20 years,” he said.
“Pints are definitely a bigger thing here and I think that dates back to the late 90s, when British and Irish themed bars started popping up more, which serve pints for obvious reasons.”
Mr Joiner added that changing beer styles also could be contributing to turning the country’s heads towards larger serves.
“Historically, the main options were lagers, which suit smaller serves better,” he said.
“However, with the rise of craft beer we’ve been seeing lots more pale ales and IPAs around they tend to be influenced by American and European brewing, places that lean more towards pints.”
