Triple J’s Hottest 100 may be a big deal for Aussie music fans, but for the beer aficionados, the only list that matters is GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beer vote. Back for its sixteenth year, the countdown of the country’s best craft beers calls on beer drinkers to vote for their favourite, with beer companies trying (and often succeeding) to move the needle through amusing, out-of-the-box (barrel?) voting campaigns. For the second year in a row, the crown has gone to Mountain Culture Beer Co’s much loved Status Quo Pale Ale – chosen number one out of 1,877 different beers.
For the 2024 edition, tens of thousands of Australians voted for their favourite five craft beers from 436 breweries across the country, with the Blue Mountains-based brewery’s Status Quo Pale Ale coming out as a clear winner, with two former champions taking second and third place.
Founded by a wife and husband team back in 2019, Mountain Culture Beer Co has gained a dedicated fan base among Australia’s beer drinkers for its core range of craft ales and limited release brews (including a delightfully fruity peach-infused IPA).
Second place this year went to Balter Brewing’s XPA, and third place was awarded to Canberra’s much-loved BentSpoke Crankshaft IPA (after what was reportedly the closest race for third place to date, with Sunshine Coast’s Your Mates Larry hot on its heels).
Out of the 436 breweries in the running, only 63 made a beer hot enough to make the list, with NSW breweries dominating – 27 of the 100 beers were brewed right here on NSW soil. Other NSW breweries to feature in the Hottest 100 list include Byron Bay’s Stone & Wood and Sydney’s very own Young Henry’s.
You can read the full round-up and plan your next schooner accordingly over here.