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The 100 Best Craft Beers in Australia Have Been Named
There’s nothing quite like a good clash of passionfruit and hops bursting through your palate. In fact, according to that one craft beer wanker friend everyone seems to have, it’s a near biblical experience. Sure, not everyone is intoxicated by a Double Vanilla Custard Pancake Imperial Nitro Thickshake IPA (that’s a real thing), but you can’t deny the craft beer market has exploded Down Under, and thanks must go to GABS. The almanac of all that is hazy, pale and pacific, the GABS Craft Beer & Cider Festival is renowned for unearthing the very best beers you’ve never heard of and in 2022, the event is already delivering in spades.
Image: Balter Brewing
Over the weekend, the iconic GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beer poll put the sword to the nation’s top brewers, naming the 100 best craft beers in Australia. In a surprise result, Canberra firmed as the nation’s craft beer capital with local brewery Bentspoke’s Crankshaft American IPA being voted Australia’s favourite Craft Beer of 2021 in the closest finish in the history of the poll. Gold Coast’s Balter XPA, a two-time winner in 2017-18, claimed second, while Your Mates from the Sunshine Coast took out third for its Australian Pale Ale, Larry.
What We Learned
Despite a deeply Canberran focus, the battle between the states was a hotly contested one. Specifically, Queensland set the bar at 30 with Black Hops claiming six total spots. Victoria earned 22 places, NSW 20, ACT 12, SA and WA claiming eight each. Best of all, a record 58 breweries made the list this year, including 37 brews making their debut.
But while Hazy and Tropical dominated the list, the GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beer poll also ushered in a new era for non-alcoholic brews. Heaps Normal’s Quiet XPA came in at 20 in the rankings, while Sobah Beverages, zero alcohol, Pepperberry IPA landed at 69.
“It is just fantastic that the GABS Hottest 100 makes craft beer part of a national discussion. After the year the brewing industry has had, to see venues busy, beer flowing, people celebrating and debating craft beer as we delivered the live countdown on Saturday was incredible,” GABS Festival MD, Mike Bray said. “GABS is all about sharing a common love for craft beer and the fact that more people are joining the conversation each year, only bodes well for the future of the industry.”
A vastly different take on the festival than previous years, the 2022 GABS Craft Beer poll demonstrated the resilience of an industry that has copped the worst of Coronavirus. With venues shut down and breweries forced to divert orders away from on-premises venues, it’s been a complicated year. Ballistic Beer Co. CEO David Kitchen said the success of the festival only served to highlight the strength of the craft beer community in Australia.
“After the couple of years we have all had and the hits to the hospitality industry, this gives us something to celebrate and recognises what we have managed to do as a team despite the challenges,” Kitchen said. “It recognises the increasing number of people who are getting to try, enjoy and vote for our beers as their favourite craft beer. To also have another three beers in the Top 100, including the only stout, is incredibly rewarding and testament to our incredible brewing team, who can brew top quality beer no matter what the style.”
Image: Young Henrys
GABS Festival Hottest 100 Craft Beers Results
With the GABS Hottest 100 done and dusted for another year, the iconic festival has named its top picks. Palates at the ready, here is a list of the 100 best craft beers in Australia, according to you, the people who voted.
- BentSpoke Brewing Co – Crankshaft
- Balter Brewing – Balter XPA
- Your Mates Brewing Co – Larry
- Stone & Wood Brewing Co – Pacific Ale
- Black Hops Brewery – G.O.A.T.
- Better Beer – Better Beer Zero Carb
- Capital Brewing Co – Capital XPA
- Ballistic Beer Co – Hawaiian Haze
- Capital Brewing Co – Coast Ale
- Young Henrys – Newtowner
- Coopers Brewery – Original Pale Ale
- BentSpoke Brewing Co – Barley Griffin
- Balter Brewing – Hazy
- Bridge Road Brewers – Beechworth Pale Ale
- Beerfarm Metricup – Royal Haze
- Pirate Life Brewing – South Coast Pale Ale
- Gage Roads Brewing Co – Single Fin
- KAIJI! Beer – KRUSH! Tropical Pale Ale
- Black Hops Brewing – East Coast Haze
- Heaps Normal – Quiet XPA
- Heads of Noosa Brewing Co – Japanese Lager
- Brick Lane Brewing Co – One Love Pale Ale
- Little Creatures – Little Creatures Pale Ale
- Moon Dog Craft Brewery – Old Mate
- Philter Brewing – Philter XPA
- Mountain Goat Beer – GOAT Very Enjoyable Beer
- Feral Brewing Co – Biggie Juice
- Brookvale Union – Ginger Beer
- 4 Pines Brewing Co – 4 Pines Pacific Ale
- Big Shed Brewing Concern – Boozy Fruit
- Hawke’s Brewing – Hawke’s Patio Ale
- Bright Brewery – Alpine Lager
- Grifter Brewing Co – Pale
- Blackflag Brewing – Rage Juicy Pale
- Green Beacon Brewing Co – Wayfarer
- Stomping Ground Brewing Co – Gipps St Pale Ale
- Akasha Brewing Co – Hopsmith IPA
- Dainton Beer – Blood Orange NEIPA
- Revel Brewing Co – Strawberries & Cream Soul Ale
- Coopers Brewery – Sparkling Ale
- BentSpoke Brewing Co – Sprocket
- Capital Brewing Co – Hang Loose Juice Blood Orange NEIPA
- Coopers Brewery – Coopers XPA
- Your Mates Brewing Co – Sally
- BentSpoke Brewing Co – Cluster 8
- Black Hops Brewery – Neverland
- Balter Brewing – Eazy Hazy
- Ballistic Beer Co – Hawaiian Haze IPA
- Capital Brewing Co – West Coast NEIPA
- Coopers Brewery – Coopers Pacific Pale Ale
- Bodriggy Brewing Co – Speccy Juice
- Colonial Brewing Co – Colonial Pale Ale
- Grifter Brewing Co – Serpents Kiss
- Sunday Road Brewing – Cryotherapy
- Deeds Brewing – Juice Train
- 10 Toes Brewery – Pipeline Pale
- Burleigh Brewing Co – Bighead No-carb Lager
- Hop Nation Brewing Co – J-Juice
- Range Brewing Co – Lights + Music
- Black Hops Brewery – Hop Swap
- Black Hops Brewery – Black Hops Pale Ale
- Your Mates Brewing Co – Macca
- Balter Brewing – Captain Sensible
- Capital Brewing Co – Trail Pale Ale
- Hawke’s Brewing – Hawke’s Lager
- Burleigh Brewing Co – Twisted Palm
- One Drop Brewing Co – Double Vanilla Custard Pancake Imperial Nitro Thickshake IPA
- Cronulla Beer Co – Next Level XPA
- Sobah Beverages – Pepperberry IPA
- Jetty Road Brewery – Jetty Road Pale Ale
- Brouhaha Brewery – Strawberry Rhubarb Sour
- Stone & Wood Brewing Co – Cloud Catcher
- Blackman’s Brewery – Juicy Banger
- 4 Pines Brewing Co – 4 Pines Pale Ale
- Brick Lane Brewing Co – Sidewinder Hazy Pale
- Hop Nation Brewing Co – Rattenhund
- Sunday Road Brewing – Enigma Ale
- Otherside Brewing Co – Anthem IPA
- Bad Shephard Brewing Co – Peanut Butter Porter
- Ballistic Beer Co – Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout
- Black Hops Brewery – Hornet
- Little Creatures – Pacific Ale
- Your Mates Brewing Co – Eddie
- Dainton Beer – Jungle Juice
- Bodriggy Brewing Co – Utropia Pale Ale
- Young Henrys – The Unifier
- Hawkers Beer – West Coast IPA
- Mismatch Brewing Co – Mismatch Session Ale
- Gage Roads Brewing Co – Side Track All Day XPA
- Little Bang Brewing Co – Face Inverter
- BentSpoke Brewing Co – Red Nut
- Tumut River Brewing Co – Ginja Ninja
- Eumundi Brewery – Eumundi Alcoholic Ginger Beer
- Deeds Brewing – Once More Into The Fray
- Akasha Brewing Co – Akasha Mosaic IPA
- Ballistic Beer Co – Low Ha
- Capital Brewing Co – Rock Hopper IPA
- Wayward Brewing Co – Raspberry Berliner Weisse
- Willie the Boatman – Nectar of the Hops
- Balter Brewing – CryoHaze
General FAQs
What is the best craft beer in Australia?
The Crankshaft American IPA from Canberra brewery BentSpoke Brewing Co has taken out top spot in GABS Hottest 100 poll, making it the best craft beer in Australia for 2022.
What is the best craft beer state in Australia?
According to thw results of GABS Craft Beer poll, Queensland is the best state in Australia for craft beer. The Sunshine State managed to nab 30 placings out of a possible 100.
Nick Hall
Nick Hall is the Editor-in-Chief of Man of Many and an accomplished journalist. He completed a Bachelor of Creative Industries at the Queensland University of Technology, with a double major in Journalism and Music. Prior to working at Man of Many, Nick spent two years as a journalist with Inside Franchise Business, focusing on small business, finance and legal reporting. In 2021, Nick was named B&T's Best of the Best Journalist of the Year. With an extensive background in the media industry, Nick specialises in feature writing, fashion, lifestyle and entertainment content. A qualified barber and men's stylist, Nick also holds a Cert III in Barbering from the Queensland Hairdressing Academy.
