Overview
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.