Say Cheers to 2019's Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers

You've heard 2019's best songs — now drink the year's best brews.
Sarah Ward and Samantha Teague
January 26, 2020

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

  1. Stone & Wood 'Pacific Ale' (Australian pale ale) NSW *
  2. Balter 'XPA' (Pale ale) QLD
  3. Bentspoke 'Crankshaft' (American IPA) ACT *
  4. Young Henrys 'Newtowner' (Australian pale ale) NSW *
  5. Your Mates 'Larry' (Australian pale ale) QLD *
  6. Bridge Road 'Beechworth Pale Ale' (Australian pale ale) VIC *
  7. Feral 'Biggie Juice' (New England IPA) WA
  8. Balter 'Hazy' (New England IPA) QLD NEW
  9. Kaiju! 'Krush! Tropical Pale Ale' (Pale ale) VIC *
  10. Hop Nation 'Jedi Juice' (New England IPA) VIC *
  11. Balter 'IPA' (American IPA) QLD
  12. Bentspoke 'Barley Griffin' (Australian pale ale) ACT *
  13. Burleigh 'Twisted Palm' (Australian pale ale) QLD *
  14. Black Hops 'Pale Ale' (Australian pale ale) QLD *
  15. Gage Roads 'Single Fin' (Australian pale ale) WA *
  16. Coopers 'XPA' (American pale ale) SA * NEW
  17. Bentspoke 'Cluster 8' (Imperial IPA) ACT *
  18. Capital 'Hang Loose Juice' (New England IPA) ACT *
  19. Coopers 'Original Pale Ale; (Australian pale ale) SA *
  20. Balter 'Captain Sensible' (American pale ale) QLD
  21. Philter 'XPA' (Australian pale ale) NSW *
  22. Black Hops 'Hornet' (American IPA) QLD *
  23. Stone & Wood 'Cloud Catcher' (Australian pale ale) NSW *
  24. 4 Pines 'Pacific Ale' (Australian pale ale) NSW
  25. Balter 'Dazy' (Double New England IPA) QLD NEW
  26. Balter 'Hazy DC' (New England IPA) QLD NEW
  27. 4 Pines 'Pale Ale' (American pale ale) NSW
  28. Modus Operandi 'Sonic Prayer IPA' (American IPA) NSW *
  29. Colonial 'Pale Ale' (American pale ale) WA/VIC *
  30. Bentspoke 'Sprocket' (American IPA) ACT *
  31. Capital 'Coast Ale' (California Common) ACT *
  32. James Squire 'One Fifty Lashes' (Australian pale ale) NSW
  33. Black Hops 'Super Hornet' (Imperial IPA) QLD *
  34. Grifter 'Serpents Kiss' (Fruit beer) NSW *
  35. Moon Dog 'Old Mate' (American pale ale) VIC *
  36. Grifter 'Pale' (Australian pale ale) NSW *
  37. Furphy 'Furphy Refreshing Ale' (Kölsch) VIC
  38. Colonial 'South West Sour' (Hoppy sour) WA/VIC *
  39. Stomping Ground 'Gipps St Pale Ale' (American pale ale) VIC *
  40. Your Mates 'Sally' (American IPA) QLD * NEW
  41. Coopers 'Session Ale' (Pale ale) SA *
  42. Brick Lane 'One Love' (Australian pale ale) VIC *
  43. Coopers 'Sparkling Ale' (Australian sparkling ale) SA *
  44. Dainton 'Blood Orange Neripa' (New England IPA) VIC *
  45. Heads Of Noosa 'Japanese Lager' (Pale lager) QLD * NEW
  46. Bondi Brewing 'Beach Beer Bondi' (Australian pale ale) NSW *
  47. Ballistic 'Oaked XPA' (Pale ale) QLD *
  48. 10 Toes 'Pipeline' (Australian pale ale) QLD *
  49. Feral 'Imperial Biggie' (Double New England IPA) WA NEW
  50. Balter 'IIPA' (Imperial IPA) QLD
  51. Feral 'Hop Hog' (American pale ale) WA
  52. 10 Toes 'Happy Days' (American IPA) QLD *
  53. Capital 'Rock Hopper IPA' (American IPA) ACT *
  54. Little Creatures 'Pale Ale' (American pale ale) WA/VIC
  55. Bentspoke 'Red Nut' (Red IPA) ACT *
  56. Young Henrys 'Natural Lager; (Kellerbier) NSW *
  57. Modus Operandi 'Former Tenant Red IPA' (Red IPA) NSW *
  58. Jetty Road 'Pale Ale' (American pale ale) VIC *
  59. Mountain Goat 'Goat' (Hoppy lager) VIC
  60. Moon Dog 'Splice Of Heaven Pine-Lime' (Milkshake IPA) VIC
  61. Big Shed 'Boozy Fruit' (New England IPA) SA *
  62. Young Henrys 'Motorcycle Oil' (Porter) NSW *
  63. Balter 'Strong Pale Ale' (American pale ale) QLD
  64. Colonial 'IPA' (Australian IPA) WA/VIC *
  65. Wayward 'Raspberry Berliner Weisse' (Berliner weisse) NSW *
  66. Currumbin Valley 'Grape Bubblegum Sour' (Kettle sour) QLD * NEW
  67. Capital 'Trail Pale Ale' (American pale ale) ACT *
  68. Brick Lane 'Base Lager' (Helles lager) VIC *
  69. Stone & Wood 'The Gatherer' (American wheat) NSW *
  70. Fixation 'Fixation IPA' (American IPA) VIC *
  71. Young Henrys 'IPA' (Australian IPA) NSW * NEW
  72. Thirsty Crow 'Vanilla Milk Stout' (Sweet stout) NSW *
  73. Bentspoke 'How's It Gosen?' (Gose) ACT * NEW
  74. Bridge Road 'Beechy XPA' (Australian pale ale) VIC *
  75. 10 Toes 'Lager' (Australian pilsner) QLD *
  76. Green Beacon 'Wayfarer' (Pale ale) QLD
  77. Bondi Brewing 'Bondi Draught' (Australian pilsner) NSW * NEW
  78. Capital Big 'Drop Double IPA' (Imperial IPA) ACT * NEW
  79. Your Mates 'Macca' (Helles lager) QLD * NEW
  80. Brick Lane 'Red Hoppy Ale' (American amber/red) VIC * NEW
  81. Hemingway's '7th Heaven Tropical Ale' (Australian pale ale) QLD * NEW
  82. Stone & Wood 'Sticky Nectar' (Milkshake IPA) NSW *
  83. Capital 'Evil Eye Red IPA' (Red IPA) ACT *
  84. Burleigh 'Bighead' (Pale lager) QLD *
  85. Beerfarm 'Asam Boi Gose' (Gose) WA *
  86. Black Hops 'Caribbean Haze' (New England IPA) QLD * NEW
  87. Hop Nation 'Dreamfeed; (New England IPA) VIC * NEW
  88. Nail 'VPA' (Pale Ale) WA *
  89. Young Henrys 'Stayer (Mid)' (Hoppy lager) NSW *
  90. Moon Dog 'Beer Can' (Hoppy lager) VIC *
  91. 4 Pines 'Indian Summer Ale' (American pale ale) NSW
  92. Akasha 'Mosaic IPA' (American IPA) NSW *
  93. Green Beacon 'Windjammer' (American IPA) QLD
  94. Brouhaha 'Strawberry Rhubarb Sour' (Kettle sour) QLD *
  95. Akasha 'Korben D. Double IPA' (Imperial IPA) NSW *
  96. Mountain Goat 'Summer Ale' (Blonde ale) VIC
  97. Bridge Road 'Bling IPA' (American IPA) VIC *
  98. Range / Mr Banks / Mr West 'Participation Award' (Double New England IPA) QLD * NEW
  99. Your Mates 'Donnie' (Porter) QLD *
  100. 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.

Published on January 26, 2020 by Sarah Ward
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