Say Cheers to 2019's Hottest 100 Kiwi Craft Beers

Now in its fourth year, the GABS Hottest 100 Kiwi Craft Beers list puts great local brews in the spotlight. Run by GABS — or the annual brew fest also known as the 'Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular' — the countdown is a people's choice poll decided by booze-lovers around the country, with thousands of voters taking part this time round.

Panhead Custom Ales is no stranger to the countdown. After winning the people's choice poll in 2016 and 2017, the brewery's 'Supercharger' has reclaimed the title of New Zealand's most popular craft beer in 2019. Previous winner, 'Pernicious Weed' by Wellington's Garage Project moved to second place, with the brewery also claiming third place on the podium with its 'Aro Street' New England IPA — a collab with Boston brewery Trillium.

While hop-driven IPAs were once again dominant on the list, a healthy number of sour beers also made the cut, including kettle sours, hoppy sours, berliner weisse and gose styles.

If you're thinking "less background, more beer", here's what you've been waiting for: the rundown of the best beverages from the past year that just keep tempting tastebuds. Working your way through them isn't just a great way to show your appreciation for locally made brews — consider it research for the 2020 countdown.

GABS HOTTEST 100 KIWI CRAFT BEERS OF 2019

1. Panhead ​SUPERCHARGER ​(American Pale Ale)
2. Garage Project ​PERNICIOUS WEED ​(Imperial IPA)
3. Garage Project / Trillium ​ARO STREET ​(New England IPA)
4. Deep Creek ​MISTY MIYAGI ​(New England IPA)
5. McLeod's ​802 #19 FRESH UNFILTERED IPA ​(New England IPA)
6. Garage Project / Other Half ​NO DREAMS TILL BROOKLYN (​New England IPA)
7. Behemoth ​LID RIPPER ​(New England IPA)
8. Garage Project ​HĀPI DAZE ​(New Zealand Pale Ale)
9. Panhead ​RAT ROD HAZY IPA ​(New England IPA)
10. Tuatara ​HAZY PALE ALE ​(Hazy Pale Ale)
11. Parrotdog ​BITTERBITCH ​(New Zealand IPA)
12. Deep Creek ​BREWTIFUL HAZE ​(New England IPA)
13. Garage Project ​PARTY & BULLSHIT ​(New England IPA)
14. Funk Estate ​JUNGLE BOOGIE ​(Kettle Sour)
15. Behemoth ​DREAMS OF GREEN ​(Double New England IPA)
16. Garage Project ​DFA ​(Specialty Beer)
17. Behemoth ​BRAIN SMILES ​(New England IPA)
18. Deep Creek ​ALOHA GUAVA PASSIONFRUIT SOUR ​(Berliner Weisse)
19. Fortune Favours ​THE WELLINGTONIAN ​(New Zealand IPA)
20. 8 Wired ​iSTOUT AFFOGATO ​(Imperial Stout)
21. 8 Wired ​CUCUMBER HIPPY ​(Berliner Weisse)
22. Parrotdog ​KEITH ​(New England IPA)
23. Garage Project ​WHITE MISCHIEF ​(Gose)
24. Garage Project ​TURBO FUZZ ​(Hazy Pale Ale)
25. Garage Project ​SUPER FRESH VOL. 2 ​(Double New England IPA)
26. Fortune Favours ​THE NATURALIST ​(New Zealand Pale Ale)
27. Panhead ​QUICKCHANGE XPA ​(Pale Ale)
28. JuiceHead Beer ​DETONATOR ​(American Pale Ale)
29. Deep Creek ​SENSEI ​(New England IPA)
30. Emerson's ​HAZED & CONFUSED ​(Pale Ale)
31. Garage Project ​SUPER FRESH ​(Double New England IPA)
32. Mount Brewing ​CRAZY HAZY DAZE ​(New England IPA)
33. Emerson's ​ORANGE ROUGHY ​(Hazy Pale Ale)
34. Garage Project ​GARAGISTA ​(American IPA)
35. Behemoth ​ME TIME MOSAIC ​(New England IPA)
36. 8 Wired ​A FISTFUL OF CHERRIES ​(Wild Fermentation Sour)
37. 8 Wired ​WILD FEIJOA ​(Wild Fermentation Sour)
38. Emerson's ​BIRD DOG ​(American IPA)
39. Behemoth ​6 FOOT 5 ​(American IPA)
40. Behemoth ​CHUR ​(New Zealand Pale Ale)
41. Fortune Favours ​THE ADVENTURER ​(New Zealand Pilsner)
42. Maiden Brewing ​MULTIVERSE PASSIONFRUIT ​(Kettle Sour)
43. Duncan's ​RASPBERRY RIPPLE ICE CREAM SOUR ​(Kettle Sour)
44. Parrotdog ​FALCON ​(American Pale Ale)
45. Brave ​TIGERMILK IPA ​(American IPA)
46. McLeod's ​PARADISE PALE ALE ​(Pale Ale)
47. Garage Project ​SLAY RIDE ​(Imperial Stout)
48. Garage Project ​FRESH DEC ​(New England IPA)
49. Garage Project ​FUZZ BOX ​(New England IPA)
50. 8 Wired ​HOPWIRED ​(New Zealand IPA)
51. Behemoth ​NORTH BORDER BRUNCH ​(Imperial Stout)
52. Behemoth ​SNOW MEXICAN ​(Imperial Stout)
53. Emerson's ​NZ PILSNER ​(New Zealand Pilsner)
54. Epic Beer / Hallertau ​BABY HAZE IPA ​(New England IPA)
55. Fortune Favours ​LEEDS ST ESTATE - ROSÉ BIER ​(Experimental Beer)
56. Behemoth ​HAZY HOLIDAYS ​(New England IPA)
57. Deep Creek ​HAIKU ​(Double New England IPA)
58. Fortune Favours ​THE OREGONIAN ​(American Amber/Red)
59. Garage Project ​BOSS LEVEL ​(Imperial IPA)
60. Funk Estate ​SOUL TRAIN PEACH TEA IPA ​(American IPA)
61. Garage Project ​BEER ​(Pale Lager)
62. Maiden Brewing ​MULTIVERSE PLUM ​(Kettle Sour)
63. Tuatara ​IPA ​(American IPA)
64. Behemoth ​IM-PEACH-MENT ​(Kettle Sour)
65. Boneface ​HOPTRON ​(American Pale Ale)
66. Tuatara ​APA ​(American Pale Ale)
67. Behemoth ​CHEECH & CHONG BLAZY IPA ​(New England IPA)
68. McLeod's ​TROPICAL CYCLONE DIPA ​(Imperial IPA)
69. Maiden Brewing ​MULTIVERSE PEACH ​(Kettle Sour)
70. Garage Project ​DAY OF THE DEAD ​(Specialty Beer)
71. Garage Project ​FRESH FEB ​(New England IPA)
72. McLeod's ​802 #20 FRESH UNFILTERED IPA ​(New England IPA)
73. Epic Beer ​HOP ZOMBIE ​(Imperial IPA)
74. Funk Estate ​COSMIC HUSTLE ​(Kettle Sour)
75. Mount Brewing ​BLACKBEARD COFFEE STOUT ​(American Stout)
76. Tuatara ​ROUGHNECK ​(New England IPA)
77. Alibi ​KISSN' COUSINS' ​(New England IPA)
78. Mount Brewing ​MERMAIDS MIRTH ​(American Pale Ale)
79. McLeod's ​802 #15 FRESH UNFILTERED IPA ​(New England IPA)
80. Garage Project ​CEREAL MILK STOUT ​(Sweet Stout)
81. Panhead ​PORT RD PILSNER ​(New Zealand Pilsner)
82. Sawmill ​JUICEBOX EAST COAST IPA ​(New England IPA)
83. Tuatara ​AOTEAROA PALE ALE ​(New Zealand Pale Ale)
84. Garage Project ​FRESH NOV ​(New England IPA)
85. Lakeman ​CRAZY HAZY IPA ​(New England IPA)
86. Maiden Brewing ​MULTIVERSE KIWIFRUIT & LIME ​(Kettle Sour)
87. Sawmill ​HAZY PALE ALE ​(New Zealand Pale Ale)
88. Funk Estate ​B-BOY MANGO TEA SOUR ALE ​(Kettle Sour)
89. Garage Project ​FRESH JUN ​(New England IPA)
90. Parrotdog ​DEADCANARY ​(New Zealand Pale Ale)
91. Garage Project ​LA CALAVERA CATRINA ​(Specialty Beer)
92. Boneface ​UNIT ​(New Zealand IPA)
93. Maiden Brewing ​MULTIVERSE BLANC ​(Hoppy Sour)
94. Behemoth ​DUMP THE TRUMP ​(American IPA)
95. Epic Beer ​ARMAGEDDON ​(American IPA)
96. Behemoth ​SO JUICY RIGHT MEOW ​(Double New England IPA)
97. Parrotdog ​COLIN ​(American IPA)
98. Urbanaut ​COPACABANA BRUT IPA ​(Brut IPA)
99. Boneface ​MEGA UNIT ​(Double New England IPA)
100. Deep Creek ​WISDOM IPA ​(American IPA)

Image: GABS.