It’s time to crack a cold one and celebrate because New South Wales brewery Mountain Culture Beer Co has taken home the award for Australia’s best craft beer with their Status Quo Pale Ale for the third year in a row. On Saturday, January 25, 2025, the GABS Hottest 100 was announced, with 55,000 people casting their votes to decide on the country’s best craft beers from nearly 400 of Australia’s best craft breweries. And the Blue Mountains-based brewery, which recently expanded to Redfern, went on to win gold again. Hell yeah.
Now in its 17th year, The GABS Hottest 100 is an epic celebration of craft brewers and breweries in Australia – think of it as the Olympics of craft beer, meets Triple J’s Hottest 100.
Founded by wife-and-husband duo Harriet and DJ McCready in 2019, Mountain Culture is Australia's fourth-largest independent brewery, with two malt-fuelled venues in the Blue Mountains – Katoomba and Emu Plains. The couple had one main aim when they first started brewing: to make really good beer. And it’s clear it’s paid off. Last year, Aussie cricket captain Pat Cummins joined as the company’s first investor, so expect even bigger things ahead.
Second place this year went to Coopers Brewery, Australia’s oldest independent brewery, with their Original Pale Ale, and third place was awarded to Balter Brewing with their XPA – cheers to you.
Top 10 Aussie craft beers (as voted by consumers):
- Mountain Culture Beer Co, Status Quo – NSW
- Coopers Brewery, Original Pale Ale – SA
- Balter Brewing, XPA – QLD
- BentSpoke Brewing Co, Crankshaft – ACT
- Gage Roads Brewing Co, Single Fin Summer Ale – WA
- Range Brewing, Disco – QLD
- Your Mates Brewing Co, Larry – QLD
- Philter Brewing, XPA – NSW
- 4 Pines Brewing Company, Japanese Lager – NSW
- One Drop Brewing Co, We Jammin’ – NSW
Congrats, Mountain Culture!
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