The Great Australasian Beer Spectapular (GABS) has once again revealed Australia’s favourite craft beer of the last year, with the 2020 Hottest 100 Craft Beers.
The ACT’s Bentspoke Brewery came out on top with its Crankshaft beer; last year’s winner, Stone & Wood Pacific Ale, came in second, and Balter was placed third.
“This year’s poll was once again hotly contested and is possibly the biggest people choice craft beer poll in the world, with a record of almost 40,000 people placing more than nearly 200,000 votes,” said organisers.
Understandably the Bentspoke team were delighted to finally land the top spot, with head brewer and co-owner Richard Watkins saying: “We’re blown away that our small independent brewery from Canberra can take Crankshaft to the number one spot in Australia’s biggest beer poll.
“Crankshaft holds a very special place in our hearts as one of our original beers on tap when we first opened in Canberra in 2014. We are thrilled with the support for Crankshaft from Canberra and around Australia.
“So many of our friends and colleagues at breweries around the country have done so well in this year’s poll, we are especially proud that Canberra brewers have 12 spots in the top 100. It’s a testament to the local culture here – customers really believe in drinking good quality local beer and supporting small independent breweries.
“The best thing about this competition is that it’s voted on by the people that drink your beer. As a brewer, it’s always immensely validating to know that not only are we making technically good beer that wins awards, but that people love to drink the beer we’re brewing all around the country.”
Co-owner Tracy Margrain added: “We are so thrilled to get this recognition, and if anything, it’s inspired us to bend the rules of beer further than we have before. It’s an incredibly exciting way to start 2021, and of course, we’ll have more exciting new beers coming up this year.”
This year’s poll also revealed the Hottest 100 New Craft Beers brewed for the first time in 2020, Indie Craft Beers 2020 and the Next 100 Craft Beers (101 to 200), with all details on the GABS website.
Here’s the full top Hottest 100 Craft Beers of 2020:
- Bentspoke Crankshaft
- Stone & Wood Pacific Ale
- Balter XPA
- Your Mates Larry
- Black Hops G.O.A.T
- Ballistic Hawaiian Haze
- Balter Hazy
- Bridge Road Beechworth Pale Ale
- Young Henrys Newtowner
- Bentspoke Barley Griffin
- Kaiju! Krush
- Feral Biggie Juice
- Capital Brewing XPA
- Capital Brewing Coast Ale
- Bentspoke Sprocket
- Black Hops Pale
- Black Hops Hornet
- Beerfarm Royal Haze
- Bentspoke Cluster 8
- 4 Pines Pacific Ale
- Philter XPA
- Balter IPA
- Modus Operandi XPA
- Balter Captain Sensible
- 10 Toes Pipeline
- Burleigh Twisted Palm
- Stomping Ground Gipps St Pale
- Your Mates Sally
- Moon Dog Old Mate
- 4 Pines Pale
- Big Shed Boozy Fruit
- Bentspoke Red Nut
- Stone & Wood Cloud Catcher
- Gage Roads Single Fin
- Modus Operandi Modus Pale
- Colonial Pale Ale
- Heads of Noosa Japanese Lager
- Modus Operandi Sonic Prayer
- Ballistic Beer Oaked XPA
- Grifter Pale
- Hop Nation J-Juice
- Black Hops Super Hornet
- Brick Lane One Love
- Grifter Serpent’s Kiss
- Modus Operandi Former Tenant
- Capital Brewing Trail Pale
- Akasha Hopsmith IPA
- Capital Brewing Rock Hopper
- Black Hops Neverland
- Black Hops Caribbean Haze
- Balter & Garage Project Dry Haze
- Cronulla Brewing Co Next Level IPA
- Brick Lane Draught
- Dainton Blood Orange NERIPA
- Ballistic Beer Mexican Hot Stout
- Hawke’s Brewing Co Patio Pale
- Dainton Jungle Juice
- Black Hops Send It
- Modus Operandi Lost in the Fog
- Mountain Goat GOAT
- Colonial South West Sour
- Your Mates Macca
- Moon Dog Splice of Heaven
- Brick Lane Base Lager
- Ballistic Beer Lager
- James Squire 150 Lashes
- Hawke’s Brewing Co Hawke’s Lager
- Your Mates Donnie
- Little Creatures Pale
- Coopers XPA
- Bridge Road Brewers Beechy XPA
- Capital Brewing Evil Eye
- Capital Brewing Hang Loose Juice
- Your Mates Eddie
- Coopers Original Pale Ale
- Burleigh Big Head
- Deeds Juice Train
- Bridge Road Brewers Bling
- Pirate Life South Coast Pale
- Colonial IPA
- Dainton Supertrooper
- Blackman’s Juicy Banger
- Akasha Mosaic IPA
- Coopers Hazy IPA
- Moon Dog Beer Can
- Hawkers West Coast IPA
- Jetty Road Pale Ale
- 4 Pines Amber
- Brick Lane Avalanche
- 10 Toes Culture Kick Sour
- Bridge Road Brewers Little Bling
- Hawke’s Brewing Co Hawke’s Legend
- Capital Brewing Summit Session Ale
- Hawke’s Brewing Co Hawke’s Opener
- Feral Hop Hog
- Grifter Brewing Co Pink Galah
- Ballistic Beer Water Me Lawn Gose
- Furphy Furphy Refreshing Ale
- Moon Dog Lager
- Bad Shepherd Peanut Butter Porter.
Story by The Shout (Australia) editor Andy Young, visit www.theshout.com.au for more Australian liquor news.
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