Overview
Think there's just one Hottest 100 in January? Think again. The second important countdown of the month actually goes rather well with the music poll that just proclaimed Billie Eilish's 'bad guy' the nation's best track of 2019. In the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers list, great brews are in the spotlight. And, just like its music counterpart, a worthy victor has come out on top.
That'd be Stone & Wood, with the Byron Bay brewery no stranger to the top spot. In fact, it won the 2011, 2015 and 2016 polls — and, with its ascent back up to prime position this year, it bested 2017 and 2018 winner Balter Brewing Company.
The label had four beers in the top 100 list in total, which is clearly something to toast to — ideally with the brand's winning 'Pacific Ale' in your glass, obviously.
Clearly, plenty of folks did just that throughout 2019. 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. Now in its 12th year, a record 35,500 voters took part this time round.
Elsewhere on the list, 18 brews that first wet lips in the past year were included in the GABS Hottest 100, and 79 percent of the beers on the list are made by independently owned breweries. If you're particularly keen on either, GABS have also released rundowns of the Hottest 100 New Craft Beers and the Hottest 100 Indie Craft Beers (those owned independently) plus the next 100 from the main countdown.
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. From Tuesday, January 28, Dan Murphy's will also be selling 24-packs of beers from the list, which are available through its website.
GABS HOTTEST 100 AUSSIE CRAFT BEERS OF 2019
- Stone & Wood 'Pacific Ale' (Australian pale ale) NSW *
- Balter 'XPA' (Pale ale) QLD
- Bentspoke 'Crankshaft' (American IPA) ACT *
- Young Henrys 'Newtowner' (Australian pale ale) NSW *
- Your Mates 'Larry' (Australian pale ale) QLD *
- Bridge Road 'Beechworth Pale Ale' (Australian pale ale) VIC *
- Feral 'Biggie Juice' (New England IPA) WA
- Balter 'Hazy' (New England IPA) QLD NEW
- Kaiju! 'Krush! Tropical Pale Ale' (Pale ale) VIC *
- Hop Nation 'Jedi Juice' (New England IPA) VIC *
- Balter 'IPA' (American IPA) QLD
- Bentspoke 'Barley Griffin' (Australian pale ale) ACT *
- Burleigh 'Twisted Palm' (Australian pale ale) QLD *
- Black Hops 'Pale Ale' (Australian pale ale) QLD *
- Gage Roads 'Single Fin' (Australian pale ale) WA *
- Coopers 'XPA' (American pale ale) SA * NEW
- Bentspoke 'Cluster 8' (Imperial IPA) ACT *
- Capital 'Hang Loose Juice' (New England IPA) ACT *
- Coopers 'Original Pale Ale; (Australian pale ale) SA *
- Balter 'Captain Sensible' (American pale ale) QLD
- Philter 'XPA' (Australian pale ale) NSW *
- Black Hops 'Hornet' (American IPA) QLD *
- Stone & Wood 'Cloud Catcher' (Australian pale ale) NSW *
- 4 Pines 'Pacific Ale' (Australian pale ale) NSW
- Balter 'Dazy' (Double New England IPA) QLD NEW
- Balter 'Hazy DC' (New England IPA) QLD NEW
- 4 Pines 'Pale Ale' (American pale ale) NSW
- Modus Operandi 'Sonic Prayer IPA' (American IPA) NSW *
- Colonial 'Pale Ale' (American pale ale) WA/VIC *
- Bentspoke 'Sprocket' (American IPA) ACT *
- Capital 'Coast Ale' (California Common) ACT *
- James Squire 'One Fifty Lashes' (Australian pale ale) NSW
- Black Hops 'Super Hornet' (Imperial IPA) QLD *
- Grifter 'Serpents Kiss' (Fruit beer) NSW *
- Moon Dog 'Old Mate' (American pale ale) VIC *
- Grifter 'Pale' (Australian pale ale) NSW *
- Furphy 'Furphy Refreshing Ale' (Kölsch) VIC
- Colonial 'South West Sour' (Hoppy sour) WA/VIC *
- Stomping Ground 'Gipps St Pale Ale' (American pale ale) VIC *
- Your Mates 'Sally' (American IPA) QLD * NEW
- Coopers 'Session Ale' (Pale ale) SA *
- Brick Lane 'One Love' (Australian pale ale) VIC *
- Coopers 'Sparkling Ale' (Australian sparkling ale) SA *
- Dainton 'Blood Orange Neripa' (New England IPA) VIC *
- Heads Of Noosa 'Japanese Lager' (Pale lager) QLD * NEW
- Bondi Brewing 'Beach Beer Bondi' (Australian pale ale) NSW *
- Ballistic 'Oaked XPA' (Pale ale) QLD *
- 10 Toes 'Pipeline' (Australian pale ale) QLD *
- Feral 'Imperial Biggie' (Double New England IPA) WA NEW
- Balter 'IIPA' (Imperial IPA) QLD
- Feral 'Hop Hog' (American pale ale) WA
- 10 Toes 'Happy Days' (American IPA) QLD *
- Capital 'Rock Hopper IPA' (American IPA) ACT *
- Little Creatures 'Pale Ale' (American pale ale) WA/VIC
- Bentspoke 'Red Nut' (Red IPA) ACT *
- Young Henrys 'Natural Lager; (Kellerbier) NSW *
- Modus Operandi 'Former Tenant Red IPA' (Red IPA) NSW *
- Jetty Road 'Pale Ale' (American pale ale) VIC *
- Mountain Goat 'Goat' (Hoppy lager) VIC
- Moon Dog 'Splice Of Heaven Pine-Lime' (Milkshake IPA) VIC
- Big Shed 'Boozy Fruit' (New England IPA) SA *
- Young Henrys 'Motorcycle Oil' (Porter) NSW *
- Balter 'Strong Pale Ale' (American pale ale) QLD
- Colonial 'IPA' (Australian IPA) WA/VIC *
- Wayward 'Raspberry Berliner Weisse' (Berliner weisse) NSW *
- Currumbin Valley 'Grape Bubblegum Sour' (Kettle sour) QLD * NEW
- Capital 'Trail Pale Ale' (American pale ale) ACT *
- Brick Lane 'Base Lager' (Helles lager) VIC *
- Stone & Wood 'The Gatherer' (American wheat) NSW *
- Fixation 'Fixation IPA' (American IPA) VIC *
- Young Henrys 'IPA' (Australian IPA) NSW * NEW
- Thirsty Crow 'Vanilla Milk Stout' (Sweet stout) NSW *
- Bentspoke 'How's It Gosen?' (Gose) ACT * NEW
- Bridge Road 'Beechy XPA' (Australian pale ale) VIC *
- 10 Toes 'Lager' (Australian pilsner) QLD *
- Green Beacon 'Wayfarer' (Pale ale) QLD
- Bondi Brewing 'Bondi Draught' (Australian pilsner) NSW * NEW
- Capital Big 'Drop Double IPA' (Imperial IPA) ACT * NEW
- Your Mates 'Macca' (Helles lager) QLD * NEW
- Brick Lane 'Red Hoppy Ale' (American amber/red) VIC * NEW
- Hemingway's '7th Heaven Tropical Ale' (Australian pale ale) QLD * NEW
- Stone & Wood 'Sticky Nectar' (Milkshake IPA) NSW *
- Capital 'Evil Eye Red IPA' (Red IPA) ACT *
- Burleigh 'Bighead' (Pale lager) QLD *
- Beerfarm 'Asam Boi Gose' (Gose) WA *
- Black Hops 'Caribbean Haze' (New England IPA) QLD * NEW
- Hop Nation 'Dreamfeed; (New England IPA) VIC * NEW
- Nail 'VPA' (Pale Ale) WA *
- Young Henrys 'Stayer (Mid)' (Hoppy lager) NSW *
- Moon Dog 'Beer Can' (Hoppy lager) VIC *
- 4 Pines 'Indian Summer Ale' (American pale ale) NSW
- Akasha 'Mosaic IPA' (American IPA) NSW *
- Green Beacon 'Windjammer' (American IPA) QLD
- Brouhaha 'Strawberry Rhubarb Sour' (Kettle sour) QLD *
- Akasha 'Korben D. Double IPA' (Imperial IPA) NSW *
- Mountain Goat 'Summer Ale' (Blonde ale) VIC
- Bridge Road 'Bling IPA' (American IPA) VIC *
- Range / Mr Banks / Mr West 'Participation Award' (Double New England IPA) QLD * NEW
- Your Mates 'Donnie' (Porter) QLD *
- Batch 'Pash The Magic Dragon' (Kettle sour) NSW*
* — Brewed by an independent brewery.
NEW — First brewed in 2019.
Via Brews News. Top image: The Crafty Pint.