When the end of January rolls around in Australia, folks get a-counting. The nation loves working through the top 100 tunes of the past year thanks to Triple J's huge annual music poll, and has for decades. And, it loves celebrating the brews everyone is likely sipping while listening to that countdown, too — aka the yearly GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers list. This yeasty ranking does for beer what the other Hottest 100 does for bangers, and it has just anointed its best tipple from 2022's brews. Coming out on top is Mountain Culture's Status Quo pale ale, with the New South Wales brewery from the Blue Mountains giving the GABS countdown a new winner for the first time in a few years. In both 2020 and 2021, Canberra's Bentspoke Brewing Co did the honours with its Crankshaft American IPA. In 2022, that brew came in third instead Mountain Culture also bested 2017 and 2018 winner Balter Brewing Company, which notched up second position with its Balter XPA. And, it beat out Stone & Wood's Pacific Ale, the winner of the 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2019 polls, and 2020's second-place getter, which nabbed fourth position this year — as it did in 2021. Your Mates Brewing Co came in fifth with its Larry pale ale, while Better Beer's zero carb variety sits in sixth. Rounding out the top ten are Young Henrys' Newtowner pale ale in seventh, Coopers' original pale ale in eighth, Bridge Road Brewers' Beechworth pale ale in ninth and Black Hops Brewery's GOAT hazy IPA in tenth. Mountain Culture, which is run by husband-and-wife team DJ & Harriet McCready, also placed 15th and 31st with other tipples — and clearly had ample company. 2022's hottest 100 was whittled down from 311 vote-receiving breweries and 2140 of their beers, with more than 60,000 folks having their say about Australia's best craft beers. As a result, the top ten was the most closely contested in GABS history, and a record-equalling 58 breweries made the full list of 100 brews. That includes 28 beers from NSW, 26 from Queensland and 18 from Victoria, plus 11 from Western Australia, nine from the ACT and eight from South Australia. Run by GABS — or the annual festival also known as the Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular, which returns for 2023 this May and June — the countdown is a people's-choice poll decided by booze lovers around the country. 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 the whole 100 isn't just a great way to show your appreciation for locally made brews, either — consider it research for the 2023 countdown. GABS HOTTEST 100 AUSSIE CRAFT BEERS OF 2022: 1. Mountain Culture — Status Quo Hazy Pale Ale 2. Balter Brewing Balter — XPA Pale Ale 3. BentSpoke Brewing Co — Crankshaft American IPA 4. Stone & Wood Brewing Co — Pacific Ale Australian Pale Ale 5. Your Mates Brewing Co — Larry Australian Pale Ale 6. Better Beer — Better Beer Zero Carb Australian Pilsner 7. Young Henrys — Newtowner Australian Pale Ale 8. Coopers Brewery — Original Pale Ale Australian Pale Ale 9. Bridge Road Brewers — Beechworth Pale Ale American Pale Ale 10. Black Hops Brewery — G.O.A.T. New England IPA 11. Gage Roads Brewing Co — Single Fin Australian Pale Ale 12. Capital Brewing Co — Capital XPA Pale Ale 13. Pirate Life Brewing — South Coast Pale Ale American Pale Ale 14. Revel Brewing Co — Strawberries & Cream Sour Ale Kettle Sour 15. Mountain Culture — Cult IPA New England IPA 16. Brookvale Union — Ginger Beer 17. Philter Brewing — Philter XPA Australian Pale Ale 18. Beerfarm Royal — Haze Hazy IPA 19. Balter Brewing — Hazy IPA 20. Black Hops Brewery — East Coast Haze Hazy Pale Ale 21. Balter Brewing — Eazy Hazy Hazy Pale Ale 22. Little Creatures — Little Creatures Pale Ale American Pale Ale 23. Heads Of Noosa Brewing Co — Japanese Style Lager 24. BentSpoke Brewing Co — Barley Griffin Australian Pale Ale 25. 4 Pines Brewing Co — 4 Pines Pacific Ale Australian Pale Ale 26. Coopers Brewery — Sparkling Ale Australian Pale Ale 27. Hawke's Brewing — Hawke's Patio Pale American Pale Ale 28. Brick Lane Brewing Co — One Love Pale Ale American Pale Ale 29. Grifter Brewing Co — Pale Australian Pale Ale 30. Modus Brewing — Modus Cerveza Lager 31. Mountain Goat Beer — GOAT Very Enjoyable Beer Lager 32. Better Beer — Better Beer Ginger Beer 33. Heaps Normal — Quiet XPA Pale Ale 34. Capital Brewing Co — Coast Ale California Common 35. Blackflag Brewing — Rage Juicy Pale Pale Ale 36. Mountain Culture — Be Kind Rewind New England IPA 37. Matso's Broome Brewery — Matso's Ginger Beer 38. Your Mates Brewing Co — Tilly Ginger Beer 39. Coopers Brewery — Coopers XPA American Pale Ale 40. Balter Brewing — Bucket Full Of Nothin' Hazy IIPA 41. CBCo Brewing — Pale Ale American Pale Ale 42. Capital Brewing Co — Hang Loose Juice Blood Orange NEIPA New England IPA 43. 10 Toes Brewery — Pipeline Pale Australian Pale Ale 44. Balter Brewing — Captain Sensible American Pale Ale 45. Ballistic Beer Co — Hawaiian Haze Hazy Pale Ale 46. Bright Brewery — Alpine Lager Lager 47. KAIJU! Beer — KAIJU! KRUSH Australian Pale Ale 48. Grifter Brewing Co — Serpents Kiss Fruit Beer 49. Feral Brewing Co — Biggie Juice New England IPA 50. White Rabbit — White Rabbit Dark Ale 51. Big Shed Brewing Concern — Boozy Fruit New England IPA 52. Green Beacon Brewing Co — Wayfarer Tropical Pale Ale Australian Pale Ale 53. Range Brewing Co — Disco Hazy Pale Ale 54. Stomping Ground Brewing Co — Gipps St Pale Ale American Pale Ale 55. Young Henrys — Hazy Pale Ale 56. Willie The Boatman — Albo Australian Pale Ale 57. Burleigh Brewing Co — Twisted Palm Australian Pale Ale 58. Hawke's Brewing — Hawke's Lager Australian Pilsner 59. Akasha Brewing Co — Super Chill Australian Pale Ale 60. Dainton Beer — Equalizer Hazy Pale Ale 61. 4 Pines Brewing Co — 4 Pines Pale Ale American Pale Ale 62. Kosciuszko Brewing Co — Kosciuszko Pale Ale American Pale Ale 63. Black Hops Brewery — Black Hops Pale Ale Australian Pale Ale 64. Brouhaha Brewery — Strawberry Rhubarb Sour Kettle Sour 65. Moon Dog Craft Brewery ‚ Old Mate American Pale Ale 66. Blackman's Brewery — Juicy Banger Lager 67. Capital Brewing Co — Trail Pale Ale American Pale Ale 68. Hop Nation Brewing Co — J-Juice New England IPA 69. Blackflag Brewing — Astro Punk XPA Pale Ale 70. Gage Roads Brewing Co — Side Track All Day XPA Pale Ale 71. Your Mates Brewing Co — Sally American IPA 72. Bodriggy Brewing Co — Speccy Juice Session IPA 73. Burleigh Brewing Co — Bighead No-carb Lager Lager 74. Coopers Brewery — Coopers Pacific Pale Ale Australian Pale Ale 75. Eumundi Brewery — Eumundi Alcoholic Ginger Beer 76. Rocky Ridge Brewing Co — Jindong Juicy Hazy Pale Ale 77. Young Henrys — Natural Lager Lager 78. Dainton Beer — Blood Orange NEIPA New England IPA 79. Hop Nation Brewing Co — Rattenhund Pilsner 80. Capital Brewing Co — Rock Hopper IPA American IPA 81. Little Creatures — Pacific Ale Australian Pale Ale 82. Diablo Co — Diablo Ginger Beer 83. Stone & Wood Brewing Co — Cloud Catcher Australian Pale Ale 84. BentSpoke Brewing Co — Sprocket American IPA 85. Gage Roads Brewing Co — Hazy As Hazy Pale Ale 86. Wayward Brewing Co — Raspberry Berliner Weisse Berliner Weisse 87. Young Henrys — Motorcycle Oil Porter 88. Mismatch Brewing Co — Session Ale Session IPA 89. Little Creatures — Rogers Amber Ale 90. One Drop Brewing Co — Double Vanilla Custard Pancake Imperial Nitro Thickshake IPA Milkshake IPA 91. 4 Pines Brewing Co — Hazy Pale Ale 92. Balter Brewing — Balter IPA American IPA 93. Coopers Brewery — Best Extra Stout 94. Hawkers Beer — West Coast IPA American IPA 95. Gage Roads Brewing Co — Pipe Dreams Coastal Lager Australian Pilsner 96. Range Brewing Co — Lights + Music TIPA 97. Dainton Beer — Jungle Juice Hazy IPA 98. Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel — Three Sheets Australian Pale Ale 99. Bad Shepherd Brewing Co — Peanut Butter Porter Porter 100. One Drop Brewing Co — We Jammin' Sour For more information about the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2022, head to the GABS website.