Poor beer. It doesn’t have the pizazz of a pinot, the sneakiness of a cider or versatility of spirits. It’s often portrayed as making you feel overly bloaty and blokey. And every second week it seems there’s a hipster pushing a “craft” beer manufactured in a microbrewery.

A few facts about beer:

• Beer is the lowest alcohol beverage available, and has low, mid and full strength varieties which enable people to choose and monitor their alcohol consumption. Full strength beer usually contains around 5% alcohol by volume. This is compared to wine and spirits at 14% and 40% respectively.
• Beer is also locally produced, using significantly agricultural inputs including barley and hops. Beer, being a voluminous product, is also expensive to transport and distribute. Australians pay amongst the highest tax for their beer in the world. The Tax Office says the Federal Government now takes $15.63 in excise on every case of 24 cans of full-strength beer. Beer is also the most popular alcohol beverage in Australia’s thousands of pubs and clubs, contributing significantly to local economies, employment and communities.
• Beer is unpretentious, approachable and the ultimate thirst quencher on a hot summer arvo. It’s the drink that brings families together, from your brother’s girlfriend to your odd uncle. And for too long, it’s been portrayed as an unhealthy option.

If you’re avoiding beer for this reason, think again. Did you know that most beers are preservative free and 99.9% sugar free (which is more than a lot of juice and milk can say)? That beer has been proven to help improve your cholesterol levels in your body, prevent heart attacks and even help with weight loss? It’s all true.

So that beer belly? Total myth. Researchers from University College of London found the “the association between beer and obesity, if it exists, is probably weak”. In fact, those who drink beer regularly and moderately (our favourite kind of drinkers at The RUC!), incorporated into an otherwise healthy diet, have been found to weigh less than non-drinkers. Everything from boosting our gut bacteria, aiding in efficient digestion and giving our metabolism a little shove along can be helped by sip or two of a beer.

Sounds like grabbing a pint of the delicious amber elixir might be the easiest way to help your health along this summer. Head to The RUC to get around our extensive range of tap beers including James Squire 150 Lashes, XXXX Gold and our $4.90 Boags Draught and $4 Coopers Schooners on Fridays from 4pm.

P.S. non-beer drinkers, we’ve got you sorted and promise we won’t judge you (much).