Royal Hotel Orange

First off, apologies as this post has been slightly delayed by the festive season. But we will endeavour to get back on schedule and keep up a steady flow of Royal Hotel and beer/brewery posts flowing in 2023. So without further ado, welcome to the second edition of the Royal Rantings of John guest posts. We left off in 2022 with a visit to the Central West town of Manildra. After Manildra, the Royal Tour rolled into our next stop for the night: Royal Hotel Orange.

The vibe of the Royal at Orange was pretty much set by the large hot pink flag out the front, that declares the pub was open at 7am, 7 days a week. Walking in at 5:30pm, we saw a few old boys that looked and sounded like they had been there since the doors first opened.

The overriding sound of the Orange Royal was that of the horse racing commentary being blasted at festival-like volume. That and the old boys using swear words that you really shouldn’t say anymore.

In saying that, I liked the Royal Hotel Orange for unashamedly being what it is. Not family friendly, not a gastro pub, nothing trendy, just a place to bet, sink schooners, catch up with mates and sink more schooners. You don’t get kicked out of this joint for being drunk. You get laughed at by the bouncers for being soft. I think the only way could get kicked out of here is for ordering a light beer or a middy. But the good thing about this Royal being a place to drink/swear/bet is that there are plenty of other options in Orange. Just in case you are looking for somewhere to take the kids or have a fancy meal and drink or be less likely to stick to the carpet.

So Cory and I only had one beer here. But it was enough to get a feel for the place. And, bizarrely, it was long enough to see from the window, a kangaroo bounce past the pub and up the main street. It was a weird enough sight that about 20 people who saw it all looked down at their beer thinking maybe it was time to just have a water. Instead, everyone there confirmed with others they weren’t the only people to see Skippy shoot up the main street. Then they ordered more beers (full strength schooners of course).

Royal Stats

• Town/Suburb: Orange
• Population: 40,493
• Date Visited: Saturday, November 26, 2022
• Visited By: Cory & John
• Beer Sponsorship on Sign: None
• Beer Consumed at Pub: Little Creatures Pale Ale
• Price of Schooner of Said Beer: $8.60
• Unique Award: Best Unexpected Kangaroo Viewing Venue
• Tour Progress: 9.56% (13/136)