Best beers in australia

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).

Dark lager by wedgetail brewing
Dark Lager by Wedgetail Brewing | Image: Supplied / Wedgetail Brewing

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 %
Best lagers and ales
(L to R) Short Stay Series: NZ Cryo Hops by King Road Brewing Co, Cerveza Crisp Lager by Kaiju! Beer, XPA by Philter Brewing | Image: Supplied

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 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.

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.

Brambalama ding dong dollar bill brewing
Brambalama Ding Dong, Dollar Bill Brewing | Image: Supplied / Dollar Bill Brewing

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
Stout by reckless brewing company
Stout by Reckless Brewing Company | Image: Supplied / Reckless Brewing Company

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
Camden ipa by merino brewery
Camden IPA by Merino Brewery | Image: Supplied / Merino Brewery

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%
Bridge road raspberry sour with lime
Free Time Raspberry Sour by Bridge Road Brewers (this is the alcoholic version) | Image: Supplied / Bridge Road Brewers

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
Chili cat by rojicat beer
Chili Cat by Rojicat Beer | Image: Supplied / Rojicat 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
Philter brewing
Philter Brewing in Marrickville | Image: Supplied / Philter

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.

Ben McKimm

Journalist - Automotive & Tech

Ben McKimm

Ben lives in Sydney, Australia. He has a Bachelor's Degree (Media, Technology and the Law) from Macquarie University (2020). Outside of his studies, he has spent the last decade heavily involved in the automotive, technology and fashion world. Turning his ...