Overview
Whether or not you were one of the Rubenthusiasts who voted 'Hoops' into the number one spot of triple j's Hottest 100, Australia has spoken on another Hottest 100. The GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of the Year have been voted, counted and announced — and Stone & Wood's Pacific Ale is right where it should be: bang on the top.
The poll began in 2008 as a little spot of merriment for the staff and crew frequenting Melbourne and Sydney's go-to craft beer pub The Local Taphouse. What does GABS stand for? The 'Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular', one heck of a craft beer event first held at the Taphouse(s) in 2011. Now voted by thousands of craft beer lovers, the other Hottest 100 sees punters vote for their five favourite Australian craft beers and await the countdown on Australia Day at The Local Taphouses, official events around the country, live podcasts and on social media.
So here it is, the punter-voted GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2015. Head for your nearest craft beer pub — in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane — or your nearest craft beer bottle shop — in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane — to take a six-pack home (or fill up your growler).
GABS HOTTEST 100 AUSSIE CRAFT BEERS OF 2015
1 ‘Pacific Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Stone & Wood, NSW)
2 ‘Hop Hog’ American-style IPA (Feral, WA)
3 ‘IIPA’ Double American-style IPA (Pirate Life, SA) NEW
4 ‘Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (Pirate Life, SA) NEW
5 ‘Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (Little Creatures, WA)
6 ‘150 Lashes’ Australian-style Pale Ale (James Squire, NSW)
7 ‘Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (4 Pines, NSW)
8 ‘Kolsch’ (4 Pines, NSW)
9 ‘Former Tenant’ American-style IPA (Modus Operandi, NSW)
10 ‘Karma Citra’ Black IPA (Feral, WA) GABS (2011)
11 ‘Throwback’ Specialty IPA (Pirate Life, SA) NEW
12 ‘Hop Thief 7’ American-style Pale Ale (James Squire, NSW) NEW
13 ‘Taco Beer’ Specialty Beer (Two Birds, VIC) GABS (2013)
14 ‘Milk and Two Sugars’ Sweet Stout (BrewCult, VIC) NEW / GABS (2015)
15 ‘Beechworth Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (Bridge Road, VIC)
16 ‘Golden Stout Time’ Sweet Stout (Big Shed, SA) NEW / GABS (2015)
17 ‘War Hog’ American-style IPA (Feral, WA) NEW
18 ‘Pale Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Coopers, SA)
19 ‘Summer Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Mountain Goat, VIC)
20 ‘Steam Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Mountain Goat, VIC)
21 ‘Dark Ale’ Dark Mild (White Rabbit, VIC)
22 ‘Ramjet 2014/15 (Whisky Aged)’ Russian Imperial Stout (Boatrocker, VIC) NEW
23 ‘Three Sheets’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Lord Nelson Hotel, NSW)
24 ‘Red’ American-style Amber Ale (Nail, WA)
25 ‘India Red Ale’ American-style IPA (Prancing Pony, SA)
26 ‘777’ Double American-style IPA (Riverside, NSW)
27 Noisy Minor ‘Admiral Ackbar’ American-style Amber Ale (Fortitude, QLD)
28 ‘The Chancer’ Blonde/Golden Ale (James Squire, NSW)
29 ‘Cloud Catcher’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Stone & Wood, NSW)
30 ‘Newtowner’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Young Henry’s, NSW)
31 Noisy Minor ‘ANZUS’ American-style IPA (Fortitude, QLD)
32 ‘Fat Yak’ American-style Pale Ale (Matilda Bay, VIC)
33 ‘Bright Ale’ Blonde/Golden Ale (Little Creatures, WA)
34 ‘Small Ale’ Specialty IPA (Colonial, WA)
35 ‘Indian Summer Pale Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (4 Pines, NSW) NEW
36 ‘Hangman’ American-style Pale Ale (Rocks, NSW)
37 ‘Copy Cat’ American-style IPA (Mash, WA)
38 ‘XPA (Extra Pale Ale)’ American-style Pale Ale (Wolf of the Willows, VIC)
39 ‘Vale Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Vale, SA)
40 ‘Dog Days’ American Wheat (Little Creatures, WA) NEW
41 ‘Imperial West Coast Red Rye IPA’ Specialty IPA (4 Pines, NSW) NEW
42 ‘Praline’ Belgian Specialty Ale (La Sirène, VIC) GABS (2014)
43 ‘Return of the Dread’ Foreign Extra Stout (Little Creatures, WA) NEW
44 ‘Roger Ramjet 2015 (Bourbon Aged)’ Russian Imperial Stout (Boatrocker, VIC) NEW
45 ‘IPA’ American-style IPA (Hawkers, VIC) NEW
46 ‘Tusk 2015’ American-style IPA (Feral, WA) NEW
47 ‘IPA’ American-style IPA (Little Creatures, WA)
48 ‘Australian Pale Ale’ (4 Pines, NSW) NEW
49 ‘Fred’ American-style IPA (Murray’s, NSW)
50 ‘Growler’ American-style Brown Ale (2 Brothers, VIC)
51 ‘Fancy Pants’ American-style Amber Ale (Mountain Goat, VIC)
52 ‘Windjammer’ American-style IPA (Green Beacon, QLD)
53 ‘Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (Hawkers, VIC) NEW
54 ‘Watermelon Warhead’ Berliner Weisse (Feral, WA) GABS (2012)
55 ‘Californicator’ American-style IPA (Big Shed, SA) NEW
56 ‘Pale Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Kosciuszko, NSW)
57 ‘Citrus IPA’ Specialty IPA (4 Pines, NSW) NEW
58 ‘Golden Ale’ Blonde/Golden Ale (Two Birds, VIC)
59 ‘Temptress’ Porter (Holgate, VIC)
60 ‘Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (Hawthorn, VIC)
61 ‘Calypso’ American-style Pale Ale (Odyssey, VIC)
62 ‘Two to The Valley’ American-style IPA (Newstead, QLD)
63 ‘F-Yeah’ American-style Pale Ale (Big Shed, SA)
64 ‘Kung Foo’ Pale Lager (2 Brothers, VIC)
65 ‘Garden Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Stone & Wood, NSW)
66 ‘Pale Ale’ Belgian Pale Ale (White Rabbit, VIC)
67 ‘Sunset Ale’ American-style Amber Ale (Two Birds, VIC)
68 ‘Dark Red IPA’ Specialty IPA (Six String, NSW)
69 ‘Atomic Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (Gage Roads, WA)
70 ‘Angry Man Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (Murray’s, NSW)
71 ‘Winston’ American-style Pale Ale (Shenanigans, NSW)
72 ‘Hopsmith’ American-style IPA (Akasha, NSW) NEW
73 ‘Clout Stout 2015’ Russian Imperial Stout (Nail, WA) NEW
74 ‘Grizz’ American-style Amber Ale (2 Brothers, VIC)
75 ‘#010 West Coast IPA’ American-style IPA (Exit, VIC) NEW
76 ‘Draught’ Kölsch (Colonial, WA)
77 ‘IPA’ American-style IPA (Mornington Peninsula, VIC)
78 ‘ESB’ Extra Special Bitter (4 Pines, NSW)
79 ‘Yenda Pale Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Australian Beer Co, NSW)
80 ‘Rogers’ American-style Amber Ale (Little Creatures, WA)
81 ‘Splice of Heaven’ Specialty IPA (Moon Dog, VIC) NEW
82 ‘West Coast IPA’ American-style IPA (Batch, NSW)
83 ‘Vanilla Milk Stout’ Sweet Stout (Thirsty Crow, NSW)
84 ‘Barrel Breed Barley Wine’ UK-style Barleywine (Mountain Goat, VIC) NEW
85 ‘Bling’ American-style IPA (Bridge Road, VIC)
86 ‘The Fox’ Vienna-style Lager (Rabbit & Spaghetti, SA) NEW
87 ‘Session Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Mismatch, SA)
88 ‘Crankshaft’ American-style IPA (BentSpoke, ACT)
89 ‘Pale Ale’ American-style Pale Ale (Mornington Peninsula, VIC)
90 ‘28’ American-style Pale Ale (Burleigh, QLD)
91 ‘3 Quarter Time’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Newstead, QLD)
92 ‘White Ale’ Witbier (White Rabbit, VIC)
93 ‘Sly Fox’ American-style Pale Ale (Feral, WA)
94 ‘ESB’ Extra Special Bitter (Hargreaves Hill, VIC)
95 ‘55’ American-style Pale Ale (3 Ravens, VIC)
96 ‘Metamorphosis’ American-style IPA (KAIJU!, VIC)
97 ‘Sparkling Ale’ Australian-style Pale Ale (Coopers, SA)
98 ‘Zoo Feeder’ American-style IPA (Modus Operandi, NSW)
99 ‘Hopped Out Red’ American-style Amber Ale (KAIJU!, VIC)
100 ‘Hazelnut Brown’ UK-style Brown Ale (Bad Shepherd, VIC) NEW
NEW – First released in 2015
GABS– A ‘Festival Beer’ made especially for a previous GABS festival
Head to the GABS website for more info.