Each year, the GABS Festival Hottest 100 craft beer countdown serves as Australia’s biggest and most authoritative ranking of craft beer, picking apart the frenetic scene to help dial in the best and block out the rest.
Australia’s still teeming with new craft beer releases almost every week, so having something like this to somewhat act as a guide is always a good way to put some crackers on your radar for the year to come. And it’s even better now that the GABS hottest 100 list for 2022 represents somewhat of a switch-up from previous iterations, making way for new champions Mountain Culture who take the top spot with the smooth Status Quo pale ale.
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The reigning champion for both the 2020 and 2021 lists, Bentspoke Brewing Co’s Crankshaft American IPA has dropped to the third spot, clocking in just behind Balter’s XPA Pale Ale and ahead of Stone & Wood’s Pacific Pale Australian Pale Ale. Round out the top five is Queensland-based brewery Your Mates with Larry Australian Pale Ale.
A record-equalling 58 breweries made the list this year, with 28 beers from NSW, 18 from Victoria, 26 from Queensland, 11 from Western Australia, nine from the ACT and eight from South Australia.
See below for the full list of the Tin Diesels that most impressed the panel of expert GABS beer drinkers. And remember, if you want someone to curate the best for you and deliver them straight to your door, you should get across our round-up of the best beer subscription services in the country.
GABS Festival Hottest 100 Craft Beers (2022)
- Mountain Culture – Status Quo Hazy Pale Ale
- Balter Brewing Balter – XPA Pale Ale
- BentSpoke Brewing Co – Crankshaft American IPA
- Stone & Wood Brewing Co – Pacific Ale Australian Pale Ale
- Your Mates Brewing Co – Larry Australian Pale Ale
- Better Beer – Better Beer Zero Carb Australian Pilsner
- Young Henrys – Newtowner Australian Pale Ale
- Coopers Brewery – Original Pale Ale Australian Pale Ale
- Bridge Road Brewers – Beechworth Pale Ale American Pale Ale
- Black Hops Brewery – G.O.A.T. New England IPA
- Gage Roads Brewing Co – Single Fin Australian Pale Ale
- Capital Brewing Co – Capital XPA Pale Ale
- Pirate Life Brewing – South Coast Pale Ale American Pale Ale
- Revel Brewing Co – Strawberries & Cream Sour Ale Kettle Sour
- Mountain Culture – Cult IPA New England IPA
- Brookvale Union – Ginger Beer
- Philter Brewing – Philter XPA Australian Pale Ale
- Beerfarm Royal – Haze Hazy IPA
- Balter Brewing – Hazy IPA
- Black Hops Brewery – East Coast Haze Hazy Pale Ale
- Balter Brewing – Eazy Hazy Hazy Pale Ale
- Little Creatures – Little Creatures Pale Ale American Pale Ale
- Heads Of Noosa Brewing Co – Japanese Style Lager
- BentSpoke Brewing Co – Barley Griffin Australian Pale Ale
- 4 Pines Brewing Co – 4 Pines Pacific Ale Australian Pale Ale
- Coopers Brewery – Sparkling Ale Australian Pale Ale
- Hawke’s Brewing – Hawke’s Patio Pale American Pale Ale
- Brick Lane Brewing Co – One Love Pale Ale American Pale Ale
- Grifter Brewing Co – Pale Australian Pale Ale
- Modus Brewing – Modus Cerveza Lager
- Mountain Goat Beer – GOAT Very Enjoyable Beer Lager
- Better Beer – Better Beer Ginger Beer
- Heaps Normal – Quiet XPA Pale Ale
- Capital Brewing Co – Coast Ale California Common
- Blackflag Brewing – Rage Juicy Pale Pale Ale
- Mountain Culture – Be Kind Rewind New England IPA
- Matso’s Broome Brewery – Matso’s Ginger Beer
- Your Mates Brewing Co – Tilly Ginger Beer
- Coopers Brewery – Coopers XPA American Pale Ale
- Balter Brewing – Bucket Full Of Nothin’ Hazy IIPA
- CBCo Brewing – Pale Ale American Pale Ale
- Capital Brewing Co – Hang Loose Juice Blood Orange NEIPA New England IPA
- 10 Toes Brewery – Pipeline Pale Australian Pale Ale
- Balter Brewing – Captain Sensible American Pale Ale
- Ballistic Beer Co – Hawaiian Haze Hazy Pale Ale
- Bright Brewery – Alpine Lager Lager
- KAIJU! Beer – KAIJU! KRUSH Australian Pale Ale
- Grifter Brewing Co – Serpents Kiss Fruit Beer
- Feral Brewing Co – Biggie Juice New England IPA
- White Rabbit – White Rabbit Dark Ale
- Big Shed Brewing Concern – Boozy Fruit New England IPA
- Green Beacon Brewing Co – Wayfarer Tropical Pale Ale Australian Pale Ale
- Range Brewing Co – Disco Hazy Pale Ale
- Stomping Ground Brewing Co – Gipps St Pale Ale American Pale Ale
- Young Henrys – Hazy Pale Ale
- Willie The Boatman – Albo Australian Pale Ale
- Burleigh Brewing Co – Twisted Palm Australian Pale Ale
- Hawke’s Brewing – Hawke’s Lager Australian Pilsner
- Akasha Brewing Co – Super Chill Australian Pale Ale
- Dainton Beer – Equalizer Hazy Pale Ale
- 4 Pines Brewing Co – 4 Pines Pale Ale American Pale Ale
- Kosciuszko Brewing Co – Kosciuszko Pale Ale American Pale Ale
- Black Hops Brewery – Black Hops Pale Ale Australian Pale Ale
- Brouhaha Brewery – Strawberry Rhubarb Sour Kettle Sour
- Moon Dog Craft Brewery ‚ Old Mate American Pale Ale
- Blackman’s Brewery – Juicy Banger Lager
- Capital Brewing Co – Trail Pale Ale American Pale Ale
- Hop Nation Brewing Co – J-Juice New England IPA
- Blackflag Brewing – Astro Punk XPA Pale Ale
- Gage Roads Brewing Co – Side Track All Day XPA Pale Ale
- Your Mates Brewing Co – Sally American IPA
- Bodriggy Brewing Co – Speccy Juice Session IPA
- Burleigh Brewing Co – Bighead No-carb Lager Lager
- Coopers Brewery – Coopers Pacific Pale Ale Australian Pale Ale
- Eumundi Brewery – Eumundi Alcoholic Ginger Beer
- Rocky Ridge Brewing Co – Jindong Juicy Hazy Pale Ale
- Young Henrys – Natural Lager Lager
- Dainton Beer – Blood Orange NEIPA New England IPA
- Hop Nation Brewing Co – Rattenhund Pilsner
- Capital Brewing Co – Rock Hopper IPA American IPA
- Little Creatures – Pacific Ale Australian Pale Ale
- Diablo Co – Diablo Ginger Beer
- Stone & Wood Brewing Co – Cloud Catcher Australian Pale Ale
- BentSpoke Brewing Co – Sprocket American IPA
- Gage Roads Brewing Co – Hazy As Hazy Pale Ale
- Wayward Brewing Co – Raspberry Berliner Weisse Berliner Weisse
- Young Henrys – Motorcycle Oil Porter
- Mismatch Brewing Co – Session Ale Session IPA
- Little Creatures – Rogers Amber Ale
- One Drop Brewing Co – Double Vanilla Custard Pancake Imperial Nitro Thickshake IPA Milkshake IPA
- 4 Pines Brewing Co – Hazy Pale Ale
- Balter Brewing – Balter IPA American IPA
- Coopers Brewery – Best Extra Stout
- Hawkers Beer – West Coast IPA American IPA
- Gage Roads Brewing Co – Pipe Dreams Coastal Lager Australian Pilsner
- Range Brewing Co – Lights + Music TIPA
- Dainton Beer – Jungle Juice Hazy IPA
- Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel – Three Sheets Australian Pale Ale
- Bad Shepherd Brewing Co – Peanut Butter Porter Porter
- One Drop Brewing Co – We Jammin’ Sour