The document discusses research being conducted at Griffith University in Australia to develop a beer that restores hydration to the body rather than causing dehydration. Associate Professor Ben Desbrow, who leads the team, hopes to create a beer that can be consumed in large volumes without inducing "flavour fatigue." The researchers are working to ensure the taste of beer is not compromised by changes to ingredients. They have created an online survey for Australians who enjoy beer to provide input. If successful, the research could help address declining beer consumption in Australia and help the country regain its status as a top beer drinking nation.

1. I’ll drink to that!
Russell Grenning
Nowand againUniversityresearchersactuallydocome upwitha projectwhichhas clearpublic
benefitsandIam delightedtoreportthatGriffithUniversityinQueenslandisanoutstanding
example of that.
Researchers atthe University’sGoldCoastcampusare lookingatways to make a beerthat restores
waterto the body,rather thandepletingit.Asthose of uswhooccasionallylike abitof refreshment
(akabeer) know,dehydrationasaresultcan leave one feelingjustatinybithung over.
Associate ProfessorBenDesbrowwhois aleadinglightinthisdedicatedteamhassaidthattheyare
particularlyfascinatedbybeerbecausepeople candrinklarge volumesof itwithoutinducingwhat
he calls“flavourfatigue”.
“Peoplestop drinking beernot becausethey get sick of the tasteof it but becausethey haveto be
mindfulof the consequences –whetherthey’retrying to avoid a hangoverorthey haveto drive a car
or they run outof money,”he said.
Frankly,Icouldhave toldhimthat for free andevenaddedanothertworeasons – theyrun outof
beeror theycollapse.Notthatanyof thishas happenedtome,of course.
Well,Ididonce admit tomy motherthat I had a drinkingproblem –the previousSaturdayIhadrun
out of the amber nectararound 4.17am andthat is the worstkindof drinkingproblem.And,ohwhat
a feelingthatis.
The good professorandhisteamare keentoensure thatthe taste of beerdoesnotsufferas a result
of theirmuckingaroundwiththe ingredients. “You obviously aren’tgoing to haveanyonedrink
anything that’sunpalatable,” he saidwhichexceedsgoldstandardforthe bleedingbloodyobvious.
But I don’twantto discourage them – at my age thisresearchcouldnotbe more timely.The team
has setup a surveyonthe Universitywebsiteandall Australianswhoenjoythe oddbeerare
encouragedtocomplete it.Igave it a gooddeal of thoughtandit tookme,um, letme think – well,
almostthree stubbies. Theyclaimitwilltake tenminutessoclearlyIstayedalittle bitlonger.
If theyachieve theirwonderful researchoutcome thenthe NobelPrize istheirs.AndIthoughtitwas
justlovelythattheyare basedat the MenziesHealth Institute –goodoldBob enjoyedthe oddtipple
and wouldbe proud.
Meanwhile New Yorkers –richNewYorkersthat is – have recourse towhat iscalled The Hangover
Club which,appropriatelyenough,wasco-foundedby aDr Maurice Beer.If youwake up inNew York
witha serioushangover,youjustring themupand make a bookingandwithinthirtyminutesa
qualifiednurse will turnupandinsertan IV drip intoyourarm and vitaminsandelectrolytes are
pumpedin.
A thirtyminute treatmentcostsamere US$175 while the premiumtreatment –presumablyfor
those seriouslynotattheirpeak – edgestowardsUS$250. Almostinstantrestorationisthe promise -
nauseagone,immune systemrecharged,stressreducedandskinrehydrated.

2. My remedy –on the rare occasionsa remedyisrequired –isthe goodoldhair of the dog.
Sadly, beerconsumptioninAustraliaisdeclining –I was staggeredtolearnthat we onlyrank 11th
in
the listof countriesinthe per capitaconsumptionand,evenmore alarmingly,we are dropping
furtherdownthat list.
Lateststatisticsshowthat we onlyconsume 83.1 litresof beerperheadeach yearwhile the number
one country,the CzechRepublic,hasan enviableconsumptionof 148.6 litresperperson. Theyare
probablystill rejoicinginthe endof communismbut,nevertheless,thiswide brownlandhaslosing
statusrapidly.
Accordingto the AustralianBureauof Statistics,the consumptionof beerhasmore thanhalvedsince
the mid1970s – the time whenIwas virtuallysingle-handedlysupportingfourpubsanda club – and
isnow at the lowestlevelsince 1945-46. Beerlastyear comprised41% of all alcohol consumedby
Australianswhile winecomprised37%,spirits13%,ready-to-drinkbeverages7% andcider2%.
The shame of itall – and thisunderlinesthe urgencyof the GriffithUni research –is that wine has
probablyovertakenbeerbynow.
Andanotherdeplorable trendisthatmanybeerdrinkersare turningawayfromgrown-upbrewsto
some frothyfizzymuckcalled“light”or“mid-strength”.Thatmightbe all rightforthe ladiesbutit
makesme wonderwhatsort of menthiscountry isproducing. I’mprettycertainthat whenGodsaid,
“Let therebe light” he wasn’ttalkingtothe brewingindustry.
Thenagain,I didn’thave a single beerforfourteen longyearsandthenI reachedfifteenand
discoveredthatI had a hard-earnedthirstthatneededabigcoldbeer.
My fatherandI bondedlike neverbefore andmylasthalf-centuryhashardlyknownasingle dayof
temperance.Iowe thatto hismemory.