Say Cheers: Australia's Hottest 100 Craft Beers of 2022 Have Just Been Announced

New South Wales' Mountain Culture has taken out the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers poll for 2022, claiming the title for its Status Quo pale ale.
Sarah Ward
January 28, 2023

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, 20152016 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.

Published on January 28, 2023 by Sarah Ward
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