The annual Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular Hottest 100 craft beers in Australia list has been released, welcoming more record-breaking stats and a perennial favourite back in top spot.
Celebrating its twelfth year, the GABS Hottest 100 is an annual snapshot of the nation’s preferences in the craft beer landscape, bringing insight on trends in brands, breweries and styles.
The latest list, the best beers of 2019, saw a phenomenal 35,500 beer-lovers place more than 177,000 votes for their favourite tipple.
“In many ways the Hottest 100 has grown organically alongside the Australian craft beer industry, while holding a mirror to it at the same time,” says GABS Festival director and poll organiser Craig Williams.
“In its very early days, there might have been only 50 craft breweries in all of Australia. Today, voters could choose from more than 2,500 beers made by nearly 300 breweries. It’s quite remarkable how far craft beer has come in such a short time.”
The voting results solidified the credentials of 45 brewers with Queensland taking the honours for the most individual beers, and incumbent number one, the Gold Coast’s Balter, bringing the most beers to the list, with its XPA again topping its eight entrants.
BentSpoke and Capital, both from the ACT, punched high with six beers each in the Top 100, while Sydney inner west sweetheart Young Henry’s brought five brews.
But reclaiming number one for 2019, marking a decade as one of the country’s favourite beers, came Stone & Wood’s Pacific Ale.
Pacific Ale first appeared in GABS in 2009, debuting at #14, climbing to the podium at #3 the following year and not leaving it since, reaching the top rung in 2011, 2015, 2016 and again now in 2019.
Winner the past two years, Balter swapped top drop for second. Its overall performance was considered a sign of confidence in the brand, after its recent sale announcement to CUB.
Third place – for the third year running – went to BentSpoke, for what is demonstrably Australia’s favourite India Pale Ale, Crankshaft.
“It’s great to see Canberra brewers are nationally recognised, and always good to be able to celebrate a good GABS result with our mates at Capital,” said BentSpoke head brewer and co-owner Richard Watkins. “As a brewer, it’s always immensely validating to know that not only are we making technically good beer that wins awards, but that people love to drink the beer we’re brewing.”
Rounding out the top ten were: #4 Young Henrys (NSW) ‘Newtowner’, #5 Your Mates Brewing (QLD) ‘Larry’, #6 Bridge Road Brewers (VIC) ‘Beechworth Pale Ale’, #7 Feral (WA) ‘Biggie Juice’, #8 Balter (QLD) ‘Hazy’, #9 KAIJU! (VIC) ‘KRUSH!’, and #10 Hop Nation (VIC) ‘Jedi Juice’.
State Stats:
QLD: 29 beers from 12 breweries
NSW: 25 beers from 12 breweries
VIC: 19 beers from 11 breweries
ACT: 12 beers from 2 breweries
WA: 6 beers from 4 breweries
SA: 5 beers from 2 breweries
WA/VIC: 4 beers from 2 breweries
The complete Hottest 100 list can be found HERE.
