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Australia’s hottest craft beers named

The GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers poll has been announced, with the most popular Australian craft beer of 2021 being Bentspoke’s Crankshaft American IPA – the second year running the beer has topped the poll.

The top three was rounded-out by Balter XPA, with the 2017 and 2018 winner placing second and it was joined on the podium by Your Mates from the Sunshine Coast with their Australian Pale Ale, Larry.

Bentspoke’s capital city neighbour, Capital Brewing grabbed two spots in the top 10 with its XPA taking out the best debut beer.

GABS Festival MD, Mike Bray said: “It is just fantastic that the GABS Hottest 100 makes craft beer part of a national discussion. After the year the brewing industry has had, to see venues busy, beer flowing, people celebrating and debating craft beer as we delivered the live countdown on Saturday was incredible. 

“GABS is all about sharing a common love for craft beer and the fact that more people are joining the conversation each year, only bodes well for the future of the industry.”

The poll also reflected the growing ‘better for you’ trend which is sweeping the country, as Heaps Normal’s Quiet XPA became the first non-alcoholic beer to make it into the top 20. Better Beer Zero Carb from The Inspired Unemployed and Mighty Craft made it to number six on the list with Sobah Beverages, zero alcohol, Pepperberry IPA coming in at 69 and Gold Coast’s Burleigh Brewing Co, Bighead No-carb Lager placing 57.

Pale, Hazy and Hop driven Ales dominated the list but the move by craft breweries to attract mainstream beer drinkers is clearly working, judging by the number of high quality, easy drinking, gateway Lagers and low-no options proving popular.

In the battle between the states, Queensland set the bar at 30 with Black Hops claiming an amazing six of those spots. Victoria took 22, NSW 20, ACT 12, SA and WA claiming eight each. 

In total 58 breweries made up the top 100 and 37 beers made debuts on the list.

The Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers for 2021 are:

  1. BentSpoke Brewing Co – Crankshaft IPA
  2. Balter Brewing – Balter XPA
  3. Your Mates Brewing Co – Larry
  4. Stone & Wood Brewing Co – Pacific Ale
  5. Black Hops Brewery – G.O.A.T.
  6. Better Beer – Better Beer Zero Carb
  7. Capital Brewing Co – Capital XPA
  8. Ballistic Beer Co – Hawaiian Haze
  9. Capital Brewing Co – Coast Ale
  10. Young Henrys – Newtowner
  11. Coopers Brewery – Original Pale Ale
  12. BentSpoke Brewing Co – Barley Griffin
  13. Balter Brewing- Balter Hazy
  14. Bridge Road Brewers – Beechworth Pale Ale
  15. Beerfarm – Royal Haze
  16. Pirate Life Brewing – South Coast Pale Ale
  17. Gage Roads Brewing Co – Single Fin
  18. KAIJU! Beer – KRUSH! Tropical Pale Ale
  19. Black Hops Brewery – East Coast Haze
  20. Heaps Normal – Quiet XPA
  21. Heads Of Noosa Brewing Co – Japanese Lager
  22. Brick Lane Brewing Co – One Love Pale Ale
  23. Little Creatures – Little Creatures Pale Ale
  24. Moon Dog Craft Brewery – Old Mate
  25. Philter Brewing – Philter XPA
  26. Mountain Goat Beer – GOAT Very Enjoyable Beer
  27. Feral Brewing Co – Biggie Juice
  28. Brookvale Union – Ginger Beer
  29. 4 Pines Brewing Co – 4 Pines Pacific Ale
  30. Big Shed Brewing Concern – Boozy Fruit
  31. Hawke’s Brewing- Hawke’s Patio Pale
  32. Bright Brewery – Alpine Lager
  33. Grifter Brewing Co – Pale
  34. Blackflag Brewing – Rage Juicy Pale
  35. Green Beacon Brewing Co – Wayfarer
  36. Stomping Ground Brewing Co – Gipps St Pale Ale
  37. Akasha Brewing Co – Hopsmith IPA
  38. Dainton Beer – Blood Orange NEIPA
  39. Revel Brewing Co – Strawberries & Cream Sour Ale
  40. Coopers Brewery – Sparkling Ale
  41. BentSpoke Brewing Co – Sprocket
  42. Capital Brewing Co – Hang Loose Juice Blood Orange NEIPA
  43. Coopers Brewery – Coopers XPA
  44. Your Mates Brewing Co – Sally
  45. BentSpoke Brewing Co – Cluster 8
  46. Black Hops Brewery – Neverland
  47. Balter Brewing – Eazy Hazy
  48. Ballistic Beer Co – Hawaiian Haze IPA
  49. Capital Brewing Co  West Coast NEIPA – Mountain Culture Collab
  50. Coopers Brewery – Coopers Pacific Pale Ale
  51. Bodriggy Brewing Co – Speccy Juice
  52. Colonial Brewing Co – Colonial Pale Ale
  53. Grifter Brewing Co – Serpents Kiss
  54. Sunday Road Brewing – Cryotherapy
  55. Deeds Brewing – Juice Train
  56. 10 Toes Brewery – Pipeline Pale
  57. Burleigh Brewing Co – Bighead No-carb Lager
  58. Hop Nation Brewing Co – J-Juice
  59. Range Brewing Co – Lights + Music
  60. Black Hops Brewery – Hop Swap
  61. Black Hops Brewery – Black Hops Pale Ale
  62. Your Mates Brewing Co – Macca
  63. Balter Brewing – Captain Sensible
  64. Capital Brewing Co – Trail Pale Ale
  65. Hawke’s Brewing – Hawke’s Lager
  66. Burleigh Brewing Co – Twisted Palm
  67. One Drop Brewing Co – Double Vanilla Custard Pancake Imperial Nitro Thickshake IPA
  68. Cronulla Beer Co – Next Level XPA
  69. Sobah Beverages – Pepperberry IPA
  70. Jetty Road Brewery – Jetty Road Pale Ale
  71. Brouhaha Brewery – Strawberry Rhubarb Sour
  72. Stone & Wood Brewing Co – Cloud Catcher
  73. Blackman’s Brewery – Juicy Banger
  74. 4 Pines Brewing Co – 4 Pines Pale Ale
  75. Brick Lane Brewing Co – Sidewinder Hazy Pale
  76. Hop Nation Brewing Co – Rattenhund
  77. Sunday Road Brewing – Enigma Ale
  78. Otherside Brewing Co – Anthem IPA
  79. Bad Shepherd Brewing Co – Peanut Butter Porter
  80. Ballistic Beer Co – Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout
  81. Black Hops Brewery – Hornet
  82. Little Creatures – Pacific Ale
  83. Your Mates Brewing Co – Eddie
  84. Dainton Beer – Jungle Juice
  85. Bodriggy Brewing Co – Utropia Pale Ale
  86. Young Henrys – The Unifier
  87. Hawkers Beer – West Coast IPA
  88. Mismatch Brewing Co – Mismatch Session Ale
  89. Gage Roads Brewing Co – Side Track All Day XPA
  90. Little Bang Brewing Co – Face Inverter
  91. BentSpoke Brewing Co – Red Nut
  92. Tumut River Brewing Co – Ginja Ninja
  93. Eumundi Brewery – Eumundi Alcoholic Ginger Beer
  94. Deeds Brewing – Once More Into the Fray
  95. Akasha Brewing Co –  Mosaic IPA
  96. Ballistic Beer Co – Low Ha
  97. Capital Brewing Co – Rock Hopper IPA
  98. Wayward Brewing Co – Raspberry Berliner Weisse
  99. Willie The Boatman – Nectar Of The Hops
  100. Balter Brewing – CryoHaze
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