Best Australian Beers, According to the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA)

The Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) recognises the country’s best beers, and today we’re shining a spotlight on the Australian breweries and brands that have been crowned the winners at these prestigious awards. That’s right, we’re looking at our country’s best lagers, ales, fruit beers, sours, and stouts, according to the judges at the AIBAs.

While we all have our favourites, these beers are evaluated blind by a team of 82 judges, with palates built on decades of experience working for the best brewers in the land. Head Judges for this year’s awards include Warren Pawsey (Furphy founder), Justin Fox (Advisory Board Member for Hawkes Brewing Co.), and Tina Panoutsos (Senior Manager of Consumer Science and Alcohol Ambassador at Asahi Beverages).

By the numbers, over 1,000 litres of beer were poured and nearly 13,000 tasting glasses used during three days of judging. The trophy-winning beers from Australian breweries we’ve listed below are the cream of the crop, the be-all end-all beers to get in your fridge ASAP. Maybe the only problem is that some of them are so popular that they’ve quickly sold out after the competition! So let’s not waste any time. These are the best beers in Australia, according to the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA).

Champion Australian Beer – Dark Lager by Wedgetail Brewing

Price: AUD$N/A (Unavailable online)

The best beer in Australia, as ranked by the judges at the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA), is this Dark Lager by Wedgetail Brewing. Not only did it take home the grand prize of Champion Australian Beer, but this tiny brewery from Western Australia also won Champion Australian Independent Beer for this Munich Dunkel Dark Lager. With “hints of coffee and chocolate,” it’s not hard to see why this beer has taken the champion spot. There’s only one catch: the beer is so popular, it’s now seemingly sold out, and we can’t find a place to buy it! Maybe we’ll have to travel to this tiny shed brewery in WA to see how it tastes.

• State: Western Australia
• Style: Munich Dunkel
• ABV: 4.9 %

Winning Australian Beers from the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA)

Best Lagers

These were the winners for best lagers from Australian-based brewers at the awards. Headlining the line-up is the Cerveza Crisp Lager by Kaiju! Beer, which took home the title of best Australian-Style Lager. Meanwhile, the Short Stay Series: NZ Cryo Hops by King Road Brewing Co won Best International Lager, and that staple Dark Lager by Wedgetail Brewing took home another award for Best Amber/Dark Lager.

• Best Australian-Style Lager – Cerveza Crisp Lager by Kaiju! Beer ($72.90 / case of 24)
• Best European-Style Lager – Hanging Rauch by Stomping Ground Brewing Co
• Best Belgian/French Ale – Gold Wild Ale by Slipstream Brewing Co. ($26)
• Best International Lager – NZ Cryo Hops by King Road Brewing Co
• Best Amber/Dark Lager – Dark Lager by Wedgetail Brewing

Best Ales

One of our favourite breweries in Sydney, Philter Brewing, won Best Australian Pale Ale for its XPA and Best Modern IPA for its Haze IPA. Both of these are personal favourites of the team at Man of Many, and it’s easy to see why they took home the win in these categories. Other winners include Carlton Black Ale by Cascade Brewery for Best Amber/Dark Ale and ESB by Merino Brewery, which is a tasty British/European Style Ale.

• Best Australian Pale Ale – XPA by Philter Brewing ($56 / case of 16)
• Best British/European Style Ale – ESB by Merino Brewery
• Best Traditional IPA – The Deckie IPA by Boundary Island Brewery ($10 each)
• Best Modern IPA – Haze by Philter Brewing ($127 / case of 24)
• Best Amber/Dark Ale – Carlton Black Ale by Cascade Brewery ($89 / case of 24)

Beyon the key categories of lagers and ales, there are a handful of odd-ball beers that deserve a shout-out for taking home a win in categories like Best Fruit Beer and Best Specialty Flavoured Beer.

Best Fruit Beer – Brambalama Ding Dong by Dollar Bill Brewing

Price: AUD$28

That name alone is enough to get our attention, but the liquid inside the bottle is equally as exciting. Tasting notes for Brambalama Ding Dong by Dollar Bill Brewing include picked boysenberries, richness of French oak, and farmyard funk, which Otters Promise says is “evocative of lazy summer days spent in the country.” Heck yes, and the only problem is that this beer is now sold out!

• State: New South Wales
• Style: Barrel Aged Boysenberry Sour Ale
• ABV: 6.9%
• Size: 375ml

Best Porter or Stout – Stout by Reckless Brewing Company

Price: AUD$26 per can

Here’s a beer from the awards that you can actually get your hands on, and it’s a tasty one! The classic Stout by Reckless Brewing Company has taken home the prize for Best Porter or Stout thanks to its intoxicating (literally) flavours of espresso roast and chocolate, layered over a milk stout base. It comes in at a healthy 5.5% ABV (1.6 STD) per 375ml can, which is perfect for a night cap. The coffee is from their neighbours at Black Crow Coffee.

• State: New South Wales
• Style: Coffee Stout
• ABV: 5.5% (1.6 STD)
• Size: 375ml

Best Low Alcohol Beer – Camden IPA by Merino Brewery

Price: AUD$N/A (Unavailable online)

New South Wales breweries seem to have it figured out when it comes to the fruity, stouty, and also the low alcohol beers that we see here with the Camden IPA by Merino Brewery. These folks have created a perfectly sessionable 3.5% ABV can with fruity ale esters and a peppery dry finish. Delightfully drinkable!

• State: New South Wales
• Style: IPA
• ABV: 3.5%

Best Non-Alcohol Beer – Free Time Raspberry Sour by Bridge Road Brewers

Price: AUD$TBA

It’s not even released to the public yet, but folks at Bridge Road Brewers have already won Best Non-Alcohol Beer at the awards for their Free Time Raspberry Sour. Expanding the Free Time range has been the brands mission, and this is their latest offering. While flavour notes are a secret for now, the Alc Free Pale Ale is a favourite non-alcoholic beer of ours, with flavours of juicy hop aroma, low bitterness, and clean finish. Keep an eye out for this one when it arrive soon!

• State: Victoria
• Style: Non-Alcohol Beer

Best Specialty Flavoured Beer – Chili Cat by Rojicat Beer

Price: AUD$N/A (Unavailable online)

This is the beer that we want to try the most on this list of winners. The winner for “Best Specialty Flavoured Beer” is this little number from Rojicat Beer called “Chili Cat.” The brands website says it “blends the citrusy punch of yuzu with the heat and depth of fermented chili, striking a balance that’s both daring and deeply drinkable,” and if that doesn’t get you salivating, you’re probably reading the wrong article! Unfortunatley, like so many beers on this list, it’s not in-stock or sold out! Keep an eye on their social media pages to see when it restocks.

• State: Queensland
• Style: Rice Lager

Brewery Winners at the AIBA

Of course, there’s a business behind the beers, and the AIBA also crowned a handful of awards to the best Australian breweries.

These are the brewery winners at the AIBAs 2025:

• Champion Large Australian Brewery – Hawkers Beer, Victoria
• Champion Medium Australian Brewery – Philter Brewing, New South Wales
• Champion Small Australian Brewery – Slipstream Brewing Co, Queensland
• Champion Victorian Brewery – Stomping Ground Brewing Co, Victoria
• Champion Cider or Perry Producer – Sydney Brewery, New South Wales
• Champion Australian Independent Brewery – Philter Brewing, New South Wales

If you want to read the complete list of winners, check out the AIBA website, linked below.