If the beer industry had its own Logies, it would surely be the GABS Hottest 100.

Celebrated each year on the same day as the Triple J Hottest 100 (which local dance legend Flume predictably took out again for 2022), the GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beers is a list of the country’s top craft beers as voted by the drinking public.

Billed as the ‘biggest and most influential poll of craft beer in Australia’, and among the largest consumer beer polls in the world, this is the best of the best, with breweries taking this popularity contest ever more seriously.

With 15 years of history and 60,000 annual votes, the GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beers of 2022 comes with massive clout, too. So let’s dive into the results.

So who won?

Mountain Culture took out the title this year, with their Mountain Culture Status Quo Pale Ale landing the #1 slot after an epic campaign by Harriet, DJ & Co. Massive congrats to the team, who were pretty stoked about it, too, especially given that Status Quo is still the team’s favourite beer (as we discussed in this interview).

As co-founder DJ McCready said, ‘I really just want to thank everyone who has been supporting us from the beginning. It was totally the support of our fan group (and) I really hope the quality of the beer that one people over. Thank you so much for voting for Mountain Culture this year’.

Given that this was Mountain Culture’s first time entering the competition, it’s a huge achievement – especially when considering the popularity of the beers Status Quo beat.

Indeed, looking at the Top 10 and they are multiple, widely popular beers that have been up at the pointy end of craft for years (like Stone & Wood Pacific Ale).

The GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beers of 2022 top 10

1. Mountain Culture Status Quo Pale Ale
2. Balter XPA
3. Bentspoke Crankshaft IPA
4. Stone & Wood Pacific Ale
5. Your Mates Larry Pale Ale
6. Better Beer Low Carb Lager
7. Young Henrys Newtoner Pale Ale
8. Coopers Original Pale Ale
9. Bridge Road Beechworth Pale Ale
10. Black Hops G.O.A.T Hazy IPA

You can read the full list of winners on the GABS website here.

What does it take to win?

James from Crafty Pint did a very thorough analysis of the makeup of the GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beers of 2022, so you can start there for more answers on what works.

We’ve also run some numbers about the styles that won big, which makes for unsurprising reading. Breaking down the Top 100 into styles (based broadly on Untappd categories) and you can see that we’re a nation that profoundly loves pale ale styles, with a little haze on the side. That supports the observations made in last year’s feature on what beers will be big in 2023.

Makeup of the GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beers 2022

• 35% Pale Ale
• 11% NEIPA/Hazy IPA
• 10% IPA
• 9% Lager
• 8% XPA
• 8% Australian Ales
• 6% Ginger Beer
• 4% Pacific Ale
• 4% Sour
• 2% Porter
• 2% IIPA & IIIPA
• 1% Stout

Do you know what else is fascinating? How many beers in the Top 100 are also featured in our Kaddy Top 50 Bestselling Craft Beers of 2022, especially across IPA and pale ale.

What do you think of this year’s GABS Hottest 100 list?

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