10 Best Craft Beers in Australia, Ranked

There’s nothing quite like a good clash of passionfruit and hops bursting through your palate and the best craft beers in Australia have these bases covered and more. Sure, not everyone will bend over for a Double Vanilla Custard Pancake Imperial Nitro Thickshake IPA (yes, that’s a real thing), but you can’t deny the craft beer market has exploded Downunder. We thought it would be a fantastic idea to bring two of the greatest craft beer rankings together to list the best craft beers available on the market, so prepare your tastebuds for what’s to come. Get your stubby holder handy and chill your esky, because these are the best craft beers in Australia, ranked.

Best Craft Beers in Australia at a Glance

Highlights of our list include the following options:

• Best overall: Mountain Culture Beer Co’s Status Quo Pale Ale
• Our favourite: Philter XPA

1. Mountain Culture Beer Co, Status Quo Pale Ale, NSW

Price: from AUD$68.99/ case (16)

The three-time GABS Hottest 100 Champion (in a row, we might add), Status Quo Pale Ale arrives directly from the Blue Mountains’ first brewpub. Brewed by the husband and wife team, DJ & Harriet McCready, the juicy New England Pale Ale captured some serious attention from beer lovers, nabbing the top spot for the third year in a row. The drop is designed for fans of hoppy flavours, with a decidedly more tropical finish than the brewery’s other releases.

“It means so much to our whole team and it’s a huge honour to be voted number 1 by the beer-drinking community. It puts us in rare air alongside some incredible company and it’s an honour we don’t take for granted,” said Pat Thiering, brand and innovation manager at Mountain Culture to Man of Many previously.

“For our team, it’s just a level of recognition that they truly deserve and you can see what it means to everyone by how hard we celebrated it the last years.”

• Size: 355ML
• Standard Drinks: 1.5
• Alcohol Volume: 5.2%
• State: New South Wales
• Closure: Can
• Beer Style: Pale Ale

2. Coopers Brewery, Original Pale Ale, SA

Price: from AUD$59.95/ case (24)

The unmistakable green can found in almost every bottle shop around Australia, Coopers has been a staple pale ale in the Australian scene for as long as we can remember – probably even longer. While the green machine has been in the top ten of GABS’ rankings for a few years, last year it got catapulted to second place, a well-deserved win, in our opinion. It’s the company’s best-selling beer for a reason.

What we (and many others, apparently) love about the green machine is that it’s an easy-drinking beer that doesn’t outstay its welcome. It doesn’t include any fancy flavours, and it doesn’t try to change the beer-drinking experience: it’s a beer, through and through.

Notably, four of Coopers’ drinks landed in the hottest 100 last year, with the red Sparkling Ale landing at 34, the light blue Australian Lager at 67, and the purple XPA at 70. It’s impressive enough to get one beer on the list, let alone the majority of your product line, and it goes to show just how well-loved Australia’s oldest indie brewery is.

• Size: 375mL
• Standard Drinks: 1.3
• Alcohol Volume: 4.5%
• State: South Australia
• Closure: Can Closure
• Beer Style: Pale Ale

3. Balter Brewing, XPA, QLD

Price: from AUD$59.95/ case (16)

Two-time previous champion, Balter Brewing was pipped at the post this year, but its iconic XPA still managed to score some major accolades. Legends Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and Scott Hargrave’s fan favourite finished runner-up for the third successive year, courtesy of its tropical and floral aromatics, not to mention the fruity palette.

Balter says its XPA is suited to those who enjoy a fully-hopped beer that’s still easy to drink, and we’ve got to agree. While Balter hasn’t taken the top spot in the GABS poll since 2018, it has spent the last seven years in the top three, which is pretty impressive in and of itself. “It speaks volumes about the diverse flavours we aim to bring to your tables (or mouths?), and we’re truly thankful for your appreciation,” said a spokesperson for the brand.

• Size: 375mL
• Standard Drinks: 1.5
• Alcohol Volume: 5.0%
• State: Queensland
• Closure: Can
• Beer Style: XPA

4. BentSpoke Brewing Co, Crankshaft IPA, ACT

Price: from AUD$67.99/ case (16)

With notes of citrus and pine on the palate and a strong malt finish, the BentSpoke Crankshaft IPA is often called the “West Coast IPAs of IPAs,” so don’t expect overly fruity notes from this one. This hoppy number is the #1 ranked IPA in GABS Hottest 100 for 7 years running so expect nothing but the best quality here. Oh, and it was awarded a Gold Medal at the 2021 International Brewing Awards. Strangely, this one isn’t as well received on Untappd, with a 3.86/5 star rating from 13,613 reviews, so clearly it divides the masses. For us, it’s not quite fruit-forward enough and we prefer to pick up the Akasha Mosaic IPA with its melon and stonefruit palate.

• Size: 375mL
• Standard Drinks: 6.8
• Alcohol Volume: 5.8%
• State: Australian Capital Territory
• Closure: Can Closure
• Beer Style: IPA

5. Gage Roads Brewing Co, Single Fin Summer Ale, WA

Price: from AUD$65.99/ case (24)

“Why I decided to visit Broome in the height of summer I’ll never know, but I do remember putting away my body weight in Single Fin Summer Ale during the trip,” said our resident beer snob, Ben McKimm, when asked about the Gage Roads Brewing Co, Single Fin Summer Ale. “If I wasn’t drinking this, I was on the Matsos Mango Beer.”

Take that quote as you will, but Single Fin has cleaned up at the GABS Hottest 100 once again. They’ve taken home the crown as the fifth-best craft beer in Australia with this aromatic can that’s full of Aussie Galaxy and Enigma hops to create a can of canned peaches in beer form. With an ABV of 4.5%, it’s easy to drink and rather session-able. Finally, the price point is fair enough at AUD$65.99 for a true case of 24! None of that 16 business.

• Size: 330mL
• Standard Drinks: 1.2
• Alcohol Volume: 4.5%
• State: Western Australia
• Closure: Can Closure
• Beer Style: Summer Ale

6. Range Brewing, Disco Pale Ale, QLD

Price: from AUD$78/ case (16)

The locals call this one “DDH Pale Ale,” and that’s because it’s been double dry-hopped for extra hoppiness. It lands somewhere between a Pale Ale and XPA for ABV% and flavour, and we often view it as the perfect side step for those who love a Philter XPA or Balter XPA. Flavour-wise, this is all the way craft beer with fresh melon and passionfruit on the palate before it’s balanced by orange zest on the finish with a low level of bitterness. If you want an Australian craft beer to session on a hot summer day, check out Range Brewing, Disco Pale Ale, QLD. With a 3.85/5 star rating on Untappd, it’s a solid choice according to even the harshest beer critics on the internet.

• Size: 330mL
• Standard Drinks: 1.4
• Alcohol Volume: 5.2%
• State: Queensland
• Closure: Can
• Beer Style: Pale Ale

7. Your Mates Brewing Co., Larry Pale Ale, QLD

Price: from AUD$70.99/ case (16)

If you’re itching for an alternative pale ale beer to get behind, check out our mates in Queensland who have created a summer lovin’ party shirt kinda fella called Larry. He’s a drinkable 4.5% ABV beer with a light to medium body that’s been crowned seventh place on the GABS Hottest 100 list. We can vouch for him as well because we love his passionfruit, pineapple, and mango palate.

• Size: 375ML
• Standard Drinks: 1.3
• Alcohol Volume: 4.5%
• State: Queensland
• Closure: Can
• Beer Style: Pale Ale

8. Philter Brewing, XPA, NSW

Price: from AUD$53.99/ case (16)

Ahh, if the team here at Man of Many could pick one beer to drink for the rest of their lives, most would pick the Philter XPA. It’s been ranked as the eighth-best beer in the GABS Hottest 100, but we reckon it deserves a spot higher on the list because of its distinctly refreshing hop and tropical fruit flavours. The combination of Galaxy, Simcoe, Mosaic, and Citra hops is to blame for this excellence, and with a score of 3.59/5 stars on the Untappd even the harshest beer critics on the internet reckon it goes alright too. Don’t listen to them, pick up a case of 16 for around $50 and suck these down responsibly.

• Size: 375ML
• Standard Drinks: 1.2
• Alcohol Volume: 4.2%
• State: New South Wales
• Closure: Can
• Beer Style: XPA

9. 4 Pines Brewing Co., Japanese Lager, NSW

Price: from AUD$50.99/ case (18)

Finally, a lager! With all of these fruit beers dominating the best craft beers in Australia list, it’s hard to imagine a lager wouldn’t make the list. Interestingly, this one comes by way of 4 Pines Brewing Co. (part of Carlton & United Breweries (CUB)) which has created a modern dry rice lager that will probably taste familiar if you’re one of the thousands of now-cultured Australians that have recently returned from a trip to Japan. With a base of Pilsner malt and flaked rice, this craft beer has a slight slight haze to the colour and a sweet herbal palate. Being a lower ABV% beer, this is a little cheaper at around $50 for a case of 18.

• Size: 375ML
• Standard Drinks: 1.2
• Alcohol Volume: 4.5%
• State: New South Wales
• Closure: Can
• Beer Style: Lager

10. One Drop Brewing Co, We Jammin’, NSW

Price: from AUD$11/ single

The voters of GABS Hottest 100 saved a quirky one for last in this year’s rankings, but it’s one of our favourites. One Drop Brewing Co, We Jammin’ is a fruit smoothie sour that has to be tried to be believed. The queue to just taste test this beer at the festival was hundreds of people long, but you can pick up a single for around $11 at your local bottleshop and try the flavours of mango, guava, and banana from the comfort of your own home. Coming in at 6.2% ABV you wouldn’t even know it, there’s that much lactose sprinkled on top for good measure. That’s on top of the multi-stacked oats and icing sugar in the mixture already. Whoa!

• Size: 375ML
• Alcohol Volume: 6.2%
• State: New South Wales
• Closure: Can
• Beer Style: Fruited Sour Smoothie

Alternatives to These Craft Beers

While we do like relying on experts when picking the ‘best’ of anything, we also have our own opinions. We did a very informal poll of our office to find out which beers everyone stood by and beyond those on the GABS list. We ended up with some extras that we wanted to highlight:

• Pikes Beer Co.’s Stout (from AUD$80/ case (24)): “Dark, smooth, and roasty.” If that doesn’t sell you on Pikes Beer Co.’s Stout, I don’t know what will. Brewed in South Australia, Pikes’ Stout is a favourite here in the Man of Many office thanks to its notes of chocolate, cocoa, toasted nuts, and roast malt, while still staying a tad lighter than your traditional stouts. Pikes’ take on the quintessential ‘steak in a can’ is a bit lighter than a traditional stout, making it go down a bit easier than some others on the market (depending on your preference), but that doesn’t mean it isn’t gonna deliver the goods.
• Better Beer OG Zero Carb (from AUD$54.94/ case (24)): Who said beer couldn’t be better? That was the question that led to the creation of Better Beer, which took on the simple yet complicated goal of taking all the bad bits from beer to leave you with a ‘better’ product. Zero sugar, zero carb, low calories, but still full flavour, Better Beer is a fantastic drop that delivers on its promise. The range has grown, but the mission has remained the same, with Better Beer’s comedian co-founders Matt Ford and Jack Steele doing everything they can to create something they, and their mates, would want to drink. We’re a fan of the OG Zero Carb beer, which is the perfect drink for those long summer barbecues in the sun. Bottoms up!

Why You Should Trust Our List

The almanac of all that is hazy, pale and pacific, the GABS Craft Beer poll is how we decided our list of the top 10 craft beers in Australia. This poll is renowned for unearthing the very best beers you’ve never heard of and in 2025, the list delivered in spades. Results came in after a lengthy polling process that saw tens of thousands of Aussies register to vote. According to GABS, almost 400 breweries delivered nearly 1,500 different beers to be judged by over 50,000 Aussies every single year.

“There is a reason so many Australian beers, across a range of styles, are currently winning recognition in global beer awards. It speaks volumes for the talented brewers we have in the country and the passion and world-class quality they bring to the industry,” said GABS’ Chief Executive, Mike Bray, in an interview with this publication.

While GABS lists out 100 amazing beers, we focused on our favourites.