Melbourne Cup Day is a special day on the Australian sporting calendar with ‘the Race that stops The Nation’ completing its 149th instalment this afternoon at three o’clock. It is equal parts aspiration and frustration, it is something that brings us all together as Australians and it is as good an excuse as any for a BBQ and a piss up. It’s also the reason for this blog.
Today, three years ago, our Melbourne Cup betting syndicate won us all enough cash that we could do something special. A few hundred each – not enough to invest or retire on, but enough to spend frivolously. Which is exactly what Dr Lager and I did.
Our winnings were handed over to our local homebrew shop in return for enough equipment and starter kits to get us into the brewing industry. We began brewing immediately – with success – and Dr Lager fired up the engine on this blog soon after. On Cup Day I like to crack a homebrew or two and toast our humble beginnings while sitting around with old and dear friends as we do every year. Sometimes we win a little, sometimes we break even and get our initial investment back – most years we just ‘do our dough’ – but nobody really cares.
It’s all just a bunch of blokes who grew up together drinking VB and being, well, just being blokes, really. Now we get together a handful of times every year with our families and ... well, not much has changed. Although there is not nearly as much VB around as there used to be.
To those who care, best of luck on The Cup – try to use your winnings on something special (and frivolous) something that might make your world a better place. You could even start writing a blog. That wouldn’t be such a bad thing, you know.
Oh and ladies, remember - frocking up & drinkig up usually equals f@#*ing up.
Cheers
Prof. Pilsner
