“… the English colours were displayed onshore and possession was taken for His Majesty whose health, with the Queen’s, Prince of Wales and success to the colony was drunk, a feu de joie was fired by a party of marines and the whole gave three cheers which was returned by Supply.”

The diary entry of Philip Gidley King
January 26, 1788
This is the quote that has created the idea that the founding of the colony was celebrated with beer. Even though it does not mention beer. For the full story you can read my book The Slab.