With craft beer lovers enjoying the fruity and flavoursome notes, it’s hard to argue against the boozy best. Finding a favourite can be as easy as tying a few new beers, and for those wanting to know where to begin, start with our list of the best pale ales.

It’s hard to argue against Young Henrys Newtowner sitting at the top of our list of best pale ales. What is often most people’s first-ever beer-drinking experience, the humble Newtowner is the flagship beer from the Newtown Brewery, hence the name. We love this pale ale for its crisp, refreshing taste that celebrates Newtown and aims to encapsulate its enigmatic energy and sense of fun, all in one craft unique beer. In a nod to the lively suburb’s past and present influences, the beer uses a blend of Australian malts with three local hops to make it fun, fruity and even a little bitter – Newtown in a can.

Just across the road in Sydney’s Marrickville, Grifter Brewery has been working on something just as good as the Newtowner pale ale. It’s not the cheapest beer on this list, but their classic pale ale is a winner in our eyes thanks to its golden light malt body and a zesty hop-forward finish. Simply put, the geniuses at The Grifter are changing the Australian beer landscape for the better with this beer.

Just like the name, KAIJU beer is one of the best pale ales if you’re a fan of the more tropical flavours. This type of beer tends to delve more into the tropical notes than any other beer, but doing it right is a whole other story. Luckily, KAIJU know what’s up – we can’t think of a better beer to answer long, balmy days by the beach with its super-clean malt profile and juicy tropical fruit flavours.

A slightly heavier beer with a similar tropical flavour, Hawke’s Brewing favours tradition and authentic taste over unnecessary complexity. We love this beer for its luscious, tropical style with hints of lychee, stone fruit and citrus that’s extremely easy to drink, perfect for first-timers who like sweeter flavours. The lightly toasted malt and gentle bitterness deliver a clean as ever ‘ahh’ finish with every sip.

Heralding from the harbourside shores of Sydney’s Balmain, White Bay has one of the best hazy pale ales in the country. We love this unfiltered beer for its generous whirlpool hop additions and dry hop which gives the beer a fruity, tropical and passionfruit character. The epitome of the modern Australian hazy beer, Sunny can’t put a foot wrong in our eyes.

It would be rude not to look at the top vote-getters in the GABS Hottest 100 beers when putting together this list of the best pale ales and coming in at is Your Mates ‘Larry’ Pale Ale. We love this beer for its summer-loving, party shirt frothing flavours – think pineapple and mango with this cracking beer.

If you’re looking for a fresh beer bursting with flavour, Hawaiian Haze from Ballistic Beer Co. is the one for you. The hop-driven flavour explosion is characterised by tropical fruity punch tastes and aromas, with a fluffy mouthfeel and clean finish. Malts used included oats and rolled wheat, adding a fullness to the body and building up just the right amount of haze.

A list of the best pale ales wouldn’t be complete without one of the ‘originals’ from the infamous Coopers brewery. This mob’s pale ale is the iconic green can you always seem to see around, which isn’t surprising due to how good this beer is – classic, hoppy and naturally conditioned in the bottle, can or keg, which produces the trademark sediment that gives this ale a distinctive, fine cloudy appearance and unforgettable taste.

We think this is an ale masquerading as a lager because this pale ale is so easy to drink and the perfect introduction for those not yet sure that they’re into ‘craft’ beers. The beer encapsulates subtle bready, malt flavours backed up with hop spiciness. The perfect mid-week drink when you feel like sinking a few after work, you can’t go wrong with the Kol Schisel.

With plenty of awards up its belt, Bentspoke Barley Griffin is one of the best pale ales out right now. The beer is a mild cloudy Australian Pale Ale known for its soft fruity aromas and light biscuity malt which leaves a nice light mouth feel. We love Barley Griffin for its easy-drinking nature that’s perfect for a hot summer’s day.

It’s not just NSW that produces some kick-ass pale ales, with this entry from Victorian brewery, Bridge Road Brewers. First brewed in 2005, Bridge Road Beechworth has earned its reputation as an ‘Aussie Craft Classic’. The beer is the perfect balance between hops and malt with low bitterness and a smooth, clean finish that hits the spot, every time.

Capturing the laid-back spirit of the South Coast, this beer is simple, genuine and plain delicious, without any extra thrills. The bright yellow beer is fruity, citrusy and truly tastes like a summer arvo on the beach, sandy and salty and just plain good. It’s light-bodied, crisp, and as fresh as ever.

Ever tried Tasmanian hops? Well, we recommend Spotty Dog Brewers California Haze if you’re hoping to! The beer is an all-time fave of Hobart locals and visitors to the city, the tropical beer is refreshing and full of summer vibes no matter the weather, featuring local Tasmanian hops, along with some worthy US counterparts.

Another delicious hazy pale ale to add to the list, Black Hops knows just how to hit the spot when it comes to a refined, textured hazy beer for Aussie summers. The beer is freshly hopped with Mosaic, Amarillo and Eclipse to inspire your senses with notes of tropical fruit and citrus – these vibes make us want to crack one open just at the sound of them!

One of the best pale ales you can get your hands on is the aptly named, One Love. The beer is a soft-bodied beer bursting with bright hop aromas and stone fruit, passionfruit and citrus flavours. Upon pouring the beer you will be met with a golden stream of goodness, with a delicate haze from malted and flaked wheat in the brew. If this isn’t enough to get you drooling, the beer has also won countless awards, taking out gold in the World Beer Awards in 2021, among others.

It’s not every day you come across a pale ale brimming with flavours of burnt toffee and nectarine, which is why Little Creatures beer is one of our favourites. The unique flavoured beer is dominated by hops and is full-bodied yet somehow still as refreshing as ever with a bitter finish that leaves you craving another can.

From Sydney’s Northern Beaches comes this classic Aussie pale ale from Modus Brewery. The beer is everything you’d expect from a Modus beer, with no thrills attached. We love the aromatics of lush pine and vibrant citrus which are balanced with a delicate blend.

For easy drinking and a lighter pale ale that you could have with lunch on your break at work, we recommend the Moon Dog Old Mate. The delicious beer is jam-packed with Centennial and Azacca hops which makes it flavoursome but refined enough for a smooth, easy-down-the-hatch taste.

If you’re looking for something a bit stronger than your regular pale ale, this is the beer for you. Blackflag Brewing brings you their rage juicy pale, 6% of pure hops goodness. The hops in this beer are all-American, featuring Eldorado, Azacca and Citra hops which combine to create a juicy, unforgettable beer.

This beer is all about encapsulating that hot, sweaty Queensland summer and we must say, it hits the spot. The beer has a naturally hazy appearance, reminiscent of that golden hour glow and we love it for the tropical aromas of lychee, melon, and passion fruit. The fruit flavours are combined with a smooth body, low bitterness, and a refreshing finish.

We simply can’t say no to this quintessential tropical beer from Stomping Ground. The American-style pale ale is full of tropical, pine and tangerine flavours and at 5.2%, is guaranteed to quash the stress of the day in just one can. If you’re looking for the best pale ale with a stronger flavour profile, check this out.

One of the best beers from one of Australia’s younger brewers, Resilience Pale Ale is an Australian Style Pale Ale that pays dues to the service men and women of the local RFS – 5% of our profits are donated to the local RFS. The beer is refreshing, light and dangerously easy to drink – we recommend taking a six-pack with you down to the beach as one won’t be enough.

We have no doubt you’ve seen this pale ale floating around pubs and bottle shops everywhere, and it’s no secret why. The beer is delicious and hits all the right spots – an American pale ale bursting with pine and citrus flavours. We love this beer for its well-balanced malt profile and smooth hop bitterness.

Before you dive too deep into the best pale ales on earth, it’s worth taking stock of what the delicious golden elixir really is. Put simply, a pale ale is an amber-coloured beer style brewed with pale malt. While in recent times, craft beer lovers have seriously turned the screws on what you can actually do within that space, the term pale ale has actually been around for centuries. According to Mitch Steele’s 2013 publication, IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale, the first advertisements for pale ales started appearing in the Calcutta Gazette as early as 1784, describing the beer as a “light and excellent” pale ale. Importantly, brewing practices and hop quantities have changed over the years, producing a range of tastes and strengths within the pale ale family.

While there are a number of different types of pale ale style beers, from Scotch Ale to Australian Pale, we’re honing in on the key pieces., diluting it down to the top three.