The latest Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular list of the Hottest 100 craft beers in Australia has been released, with a podium shuffle and new top dog brewer.
The new list, recognising the best drops of 2020, is the thirteenth edition for the GABS Hottest 100 – the annual snapshot of the nation’s preferences and evolving tastes in craft beer.
GABS has grown to become perhaps the premier people’s choice craft beer poll in the world, surpassing its own record again in 2021 with almost 40,000 people casting nearly 200,000 votes. (Full results below)
After placing third in the countdown for the past three years, Canberra’s Bent Spoke has surged to No.1, alongside four more of its beers in the top 32 spots.
“We’re blown away that our small independent brewery from Canberra can take Crankshaft to the number one spot in Australia’s biggest beer poll,” says Richard Watkins, head brewer and co-owner with Tracy Margrain.
“Crankshaft holds a very special place in our hearts as one of our original beers on tap when we first opened in Canberra in 2014. We are thrilled with the support for Crankshaft from Canberra and around Australia.”
An impressive total of 12 Canberra brewers made the grade this year.
“It’s a testament to the local culture here; customers really believe in drinking good quality local beer and supporting small independent breweries.”
Bent Spoke has enjoyed strong support in the ACT and beyond. While it already counts hundreds of taps in venues up and down the east coast, it reports a major focus to get into more pubs and clubs around the country.
Placing second on the list was Stone & Wood’s ever-popular Pacific Ale, which having first appeared in GABS in 2009 and first reached the podium in 2010, has stayed in the winner’s circle ever since, taking first place last year for the fourth time.
Third place went to CUB’s uber-successful Balter, from the Gold Coast, with its staple XPA and multiple variants on every GABS list.
Watkins offers that one of the best things about the GABS competition is that it’s voted on by the people that actually drink the beer.
“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 all around the country.”
