The 16th annual GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beer competition featured 436 of Australia’s craft breweries with 1877 different beers, attracting tens of thousands of votes. For the second year running, Mountain Culture Beer Co’s Status Quo Pale Ale was crowned Australia’s favourite craft beer.
Two previous champions took the second and third positions on the podium with Mick Fanning’s Gold Coast’s Balter XPA taking Silver and Canberra’s BentSpoke Crankshaft IPA taking Bronze, just ahead of Sunshine Coast’s Your Mates Larry. It is only the third time in the competition’s history that the top three positions have been repeated in the same order as the previous year.
Overall, 63 different breweries represented in the Top 100, with some new contenders in the market, 28 beers dropped off this year’s list, all replaced by new consumer favourites.
The Top 10 had two new entrants in WA’s Gage Roads Brewing Co Single Fin and SA’s Pirate Life Brewing’s South Coast Pale Ale joining Victoria’s Bridge Roads Beechworth Pale Ale, SA’s Coopers Brewery Original Pale Ale along with NSW’s Stone & Wood Brewing Co’s Pacific Ale and Young Henrys Newtowner.
NSW breweries took out the bragging rights of most beers appearing on the Hottest 100 list with 27 brews, while Queensland had 24. There was a strong resurgence from Victoria with 22 beers, and Western Australia took out 11 spots with ACT and South Australia both with eight placings.
Balter Brewing Co’s Cerveza proved to be the most popular new beer released in 2023 to make this year’s Hottest 100 list, ahead of Mountain Culture’s 2023 Summer Pale Ale collaboration beer with USA’s Sierra Nevada and Heads of Noosa’s Black Japanese Lager.
First Choice Liquor Market head Michael Bornholdt congratulated Mountain Culture Beer Co for once again taking home the top honour.
“This year’s winners are an excellent representation of the quality craft beer being made around the country. It’s clear pale ale remains a favourite, with Aussies clearly voting for solid, consistent brews that are true to their style.
The award-winning beers are available at First Choice Liquor Market in store and online, with the GABS Summer Invitational pack featuring eight summer-inspired styles on offer for a limited time.
