Say Cheers to 2018's Hottest 100 Kiwi Craft Beers

Now in its third 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.

After placing third in both previous editions of the poll, Garage Project's Pernicious Weed has taken the title of New Zealand's favourite craft beer. The win for the Double IPA topped a remarkable showing from Garage Project, with the Wellington brewery also claiming second place with its recently rebranded DFA (formerly known as Death From Above), as well as another 23 positions throughout the list with beers ranging from white peach sours to barrel aged porters.

Previous two-time winner Supercharger from Upper Hutt's Panhead Custom Ales retained a podium position with third place.

Breweries from the Auckland region were represented in force, led by Behemoth Brewing Co with 16 beers (including three in the top ten), 8 Wired Brewing (eight beers) and Epic Beer and Liberty Brewing with six beers each.

While hop-driven beers were dominant on the list, the Kiwi poll showed greater diversity of beer styles than its Australian counterpart, with a healthy number of sours, stouts and lagers making the cut. The New England IPA (or Hazy IPA) saw 17 placings in the Hottest 100 (up from six in 2017).

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 2019 countdown.

GABS HOTTEST 100 KIWI CRAFT BEERS OF 2018

1. Garage Project Pernicious Weed (Imperial IPA)
2. Garage Project DFA (Specialty Beer)
3. Panhead Supercharger (American Pale Ale)
4. Behemoth Lid Ripper (New England IPA)
5. Behemoth Snow Mexican (Imperial Stout)
6. Garage Project Party & Bullshit (New England IPA)
7. Behemoth Dump The Trump (American IPA)
8. Deep Creek Brewtiful Haze (New England IPA)
9. Garage Project Hāpi Daze (New Zealand Pale Ale)
10. Epic Hop Zombie (Imperial IPA)
11. Garage Project Fresh Ipa (New England IPA)
12. Garage Project Boss Level (Imperial IPA)
13. Garage Project Garagista (American IPA)
14. Liberty Prohibition Porter (2018) (Wood-Aged Beer)
15. Parrotdog Keith (New England IPA)
16. 8 Wired Cucumber Hippy (Berliner Weisse)
17. Garage Project White Mischief (Gose)
18. Funk Estate Jungle Boogie (Kettle Sour)
19. Parrotdog Bitterbitch (New Zealand IPA)
20. Liberty Knife Party (American IPA)
21 Liberty Citra (Imperial IPA)
22. Liberty Yakima Monster (American Pale Ale)
23. Garage Project Whittaker's Chocolate Beer (Sweet Stout)
24. Deep Creek Misty Miyagi (New England IPA)
25. Garage Project Fuzz Box (New England IPA)
26. Epic Armageddon (American IPA)
27. Parrotdog Susan (New England IPA)
28. Panhead Rat Rod Hazy Ipa (New England IPA)
29. 8 Wired Istout Affogato (Imperial Stout)
30. Parrotdog Colin (American IPA)
31. Garage Project Omg (New England IPA)
32. Panhead Quickchange Xpa (American Pale Ale)
33. Parrotdog Falcon (American Pale Ale)
34. Garage Project Cereal Milk Stout (Sweet Stout)
35. Behemoth Triple Chocolate Milk Stout (Sweet Stout)
36. 8 Wired Fistful Of Cherries (Mixed Fermentation Sour)
37. Deep Creek Lupulin Effect Double Ipa (Imperial IPA)
38. Garage Project Pils N Thrills (New Zealand Pilsner)
39. 8 Wired Hopwired (New Zealand IPA)
40. Garage Project Los Lobos (American IPA)
41. Garage Project Mutiny On The Bounty (Extra Stout)
42. Fortune Favours The Naturalist (New Zealand Pale Ale)
43. Garage Project Yuzu Rising Sun (Specialty Beer)
44. Outlier Cartel Cloudburst (Imperial IPA)
45. Behemoth 6 Foot 5 (American IPA)
46. Deep Creek Hoppy Mchopface (Imperial IPA)
47. Garage Project Triple Day Of The Dead (Specialty Beer)
48. Liberty Halo Pilsner (New Zealand Pilsner)
49. Fortune Favours The Wellingtonian (New Zealand IPA)
50. Mcleod's Paradise Pale Ale (International Pale Ale)
51. 8 Wired Wild Feijoa (Mixed Fermentation Sour)
52. Epic Thunder (American Pale Ale)
53. Garage Project Hops On Pointe (New Zealand Pilsner)
54. Behemoth Under-arm (Australian IPA)
55. Garage Project Day Of The Dead (Specialty Beer)
56. Boneface Big Unit (Imperial IPA)
57. Urbanaut Copacabana (Brut IPA)
58. Behemoth Im-peach-ment (Kettle Sour)
59. Garage Project Verbotene Fruchte (Schwarzbier)
60. Panhead Green Fog Fresh Hop Ipa (New Zealand IPA)
61. Sawmill Raspberry Sour (Kettle Sour)
62. Behemoth Music City (New England IPA)
63. Garage Project Beer (Pale Lager)
64. Parrotdog Forget-me-not (American IPA)
65. Emerson's Hazed & Confused (International IPA)
66. Garage Project Cockswain's Courage Double Barrelled (Specialty)
67. 8 Wired Lokomotiv Merlot (Imperial Stout)
68. Behemoth Brain Smiles (New England IPA)
69. Behemoth Drink Yesterday No.1 (New England IPA)
70. Birkenhead Beautiful Trouble (Ninkasi Collab) (American IPA)
71. New New New Synaptic Voyage (Kettle Sour)
72. Behemoth Mocha Madness (Imperial Stout)
73. Behemoth Pretty Pretty Pretty Pineappley (American Pale Ale)
74. Deep Creek Aloha Guava Passionfruit Sour (Berliner Weisse)
75. Epic Triple Alpha (Imperial IPA)
76. Behemoth Brave Bikkie (English Brown Ale)
77. Brave Tigermilk Ipa (American IPA)
78. Epic Love & Affection (American IPA)
79. Epic Magic Dust (American IPA)
80. Mcleod's 802 #13 Unfiltered Ipa (New England IPA)
81. 8 Wired Hippy Berliner (Berliner Weisse)
82. Boneface Unit (New Zealand IPA)
83. Boneface Hoptron (American Pale Ale)
84. Good George Ipa (New Zealand IPA)
85. Sawmill Juicebox East Coast Ipa (New England IPA)
86. Emerson's Bird Dog (American IPA)
87. Liberty Oh Brother (American Pale Ale)
88. Panhead The Vandal (New Zealand IPA)
89. Sawmill Xpa (New Zealand Pale Ale)
90. Bootleg Apehanger (American IPA)
91. Bach Velvet Marley (Specialty Beer)
92. Mcleod's Tropical Cyclone (Imperial IPA)
93. Behemoth Cheech & Chong Blazy Ipa (New England IPA)
94. Behemoth The Dude Abides (Imperial Stout)
95. Garage Project Aro Noir (American Stout)
96. Behemoth Chur (New Zealand Pale Ale)
97. Garage Project Dirty Boots (American Pale Ale)
98. Garage Project Block Party (New Zealand IPA)
99. 8 Wired Juice Train (New England IPA)
100. Alibi It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World (American Stout)

Image: GABS.