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Great northern beer

10 Most Popular Beers in Australia Revealed


The most popular beers in Australia have been revealed, with market research company IRI Australia revealing Great Northern Brewing Co as the top seller for last year. This was shortly followed by crowd favourite Carlton Dry and XXXX Gold before independent Coopers rounded out the top four.

In a surprising turn of events, Victoria Bitter fell to number five on the most popular beers in Australia list, surprising the diehards on social media. Clearly, the fans were more concerned with their new workwear and fragrance and cologne than a few cases of the good stuff. We’ll closely monitor how this might change when the results are released next year, VBs New VX ‘Xtra’ beers were a big hit amongst our team.

RELATED: Most Popular Types of Beer Explained: A Complete Guide.

Most popular beers in australiagreat northern brewing co

Great Northern Brewing Co was the most popular beer in Australia for 2022 | Image: Supplied

These are the most popular beers in Australia according to 2022 sales data obtained by market research company IRI Australia.

  1. Great Northern Brewing Co (Brewed by CUB, via. Asahi)
  2. Carlton Dry (CUB/Asahi)
  3. XXXX Gold (Lion, part of Kirin)
  4. Coopers (Independent)
  5. Victoria Bitter (CUB/Asahi)
  6. Corona (Brewed in Australia by CUB/Asahi)
  7. Tooheys (Lion/Kirin)
  8. Hahn (Lion/Kirin)
  9. Pure Blonde (CUB/Asahi)
  10. Asahi (CUB/Asahi)

Great Northern Brewing Co is the most popular beer in Australia. However, it’s worth noting that the list pertains to 2022 sales data obtained by market research company IRI Australia. This has caused an outcry response with many claiming they wouldn’t go near many of the offshore-owned beers in the top ten. “I’m embarrassed! Surely a joke,” said one Facebook user, while another exclaimed “Can’t wait for the day when people develop a taste for proper beer then and not flavoured water.”

Thankfully, there are plenty of beers to go around and if you can’t find what you want, check out some of our favourite beers right here.

What This Data Says About the Australian Beer Industry

Firstly, it’s worth noting that Coopers is the only independent brewery on the list. Not only does this speak to the quality of their product, but also the marketing beast behind the internationally owned beers.

Coopers Managing Director, Dr Tim Cooper, said the result was 160 years in the making for the sixth-generation family-owned brewery. “The Australian beer market is highly competitive and dominated by large international players, so we’re delighted to see our local brews continuing to punch well above their weight.”

The statement also gave us the closest insight we’ve had into the sheer amount of beer that’s being sold in our country. As a benchmark, Coopers Brewery explained that they produced 100 million bottles and 60 million cans of Coopers beer in 2022. We can hardly imagine how many bottles of Great Northern were sold to achieve the number one position. Just a few cases.

Not one to rest on their laurels, Coopers is looking forward to opening their new $50 million visitor centre, microbrewery and whisky distillery development as it begins to take shape at Regency Park, Adelaide.

Mountain Culture Beer Co Status Quo Pale Ale | Image: Mountain Culture Beer Co

Mountain Culture Beer Co Status Quo Pale Ale | Image: Mountain Culture Beer Co

Who Did the People Select as the Favourite Beer?

If you want to find out who ‘the people’ selected as the best beers in Australia, check out the results of the GABS Craft Beer Top 100 list right here. Alternatively, here are the top 10 results from GABS Festival Hottest 100 Craft Beers.

  1. Mountain Culture – Status Quo Hazy Pale Ale NSW
  2. Balter Brewing – Balter XPA Pale Ale QLD
  3. BentSpoke Brewing Co – Crankshaft American IPA ACT
  4. Stone & Wood Brewing Co – Pacific Ale Australian Pale Ale NSW
  5. Your Mates Brewing Co – Larry Australian Pale Ale QLD
  6. Better Beer – Better Beer Zero Carb Australian Pilsner NSW
  7. Young Henrys – Newtowner Australian Pale Ale NSW
  8. Coopers Brewery – Original Pale Ale Australian Pale Ale SA
  9. Bridge Road Brewers – Beechworth Pale Ale American Pale Ale VIC
  10. Black Hops Brewery – G.O.A.T. New England IPA QLD

You know where we stand on this one, give us all the Mountain Culture Status Quo, Capital Brewing XPA, and Bentspoke Crankshaft American IPA you can muster! At least there’s one independent on the list of the most popular beers in Australia, it even ranks number 8 on the GABS list.

Our list of the Best Pales Ales Our list of the Best NEIPAs Our list of the Best Pilsners

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