Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus.) alcoholic liquor, thus tangle-tearer, a heavy drinker.

1881		Bulletin (Sydney) 8 Jan. 4/3: The ‘club’ in the possession of this boundless wealth suddenly acquired gentlemanly tastes, eschewed their customary ‘tangle,’ and celebrated the unexpected win with copious libations of champagne.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 31 Jan. 22/1: A few days ago several lords and ladies of the soil on the Richmond undertook to ‘keep it up that pfeller Krismiss like im white man,’ and, having filled their tanks with ‘tangle,’ they started singing inverted Psalms, and carrying on in a delightfully opera bouffish manner in front of the Walker-street hotels.
1890		Dead Bird (Sydney) 1 Mar. 2/4: I both day and night / May drink its health in ‘tangle rum’.
1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 11 Dec. 4/8: We shall have no use for ‘tangle’ — / We shall sign the blooming pledge.
1904		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 10 Feb. 3/7: Its frowzy ‘push’ of bums and tangle-tearers.
1922		E. Dyson Missing Link 🌐 Ch. xvi: The spoutin’ bloke sez he likes his fill iv tangle.