The Great Australasian Beer Spectapular (GABS) has once again reveal Australia’s favourite craft beer of the last year, with the 2020 Hottest 100 Craft Beers, and this year sees the ACT’s Bentspoke Brewery coming out on top with its Crankshaft beer.

Last year’s winner, Stone & Wood Pacific Ale continues to resonate with Australia’s beer drinkers, coming in second, while Balter showed little beer drinker reaction to the purchase by Carlton & United Breweries, being place third.

Organisers said: “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.”

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:

  1. Bentspoke Crankshaft
  2. Stone & Wood Pacific Ale
  3. Balter XPA
  4. Your Mates Larry
  5. Black Hops G.O.A.T
  6. Ballistic Hawaiian Haze
  7. Balter Hazy
  8. Bridge Road Beechworth Pale Ale
  9. Young Henrys Newtowner
  10. Bentspoke Barley Griffin
  11. Kaiju! Krush
  12. Feral Biggie Juice
  13. Capital Brewing XPA
  14. Capital Brewing Coast Ale
  15. Bentspoke Sprocket
  16. Black Hops Pale
  17. Black Hops Hornet
  18. Beerfarm Royal Haze
  19. Bentspoke Cluster 8
  20. 4 Pines Pacific Ale
  21. Philter XPA
  22. Balter IPA
  23. Modus Operandi XPA
  24. Balter Captain Sensible
  25. 10 Toes Pipeline
  26. Burleigh Twisted Palm
  27. Stomping Ground Gipps St Pale
  28. Your Mates Sally
  29. Moon Dog Old Mate
  30. 4 Pines Pale
  31. Big Shed Boozy Fruit
  32. Bentspoke Red Nut
  33. Stone & Wood Cloud Catcher
  34. Gage Roads Single Fin
  35. Modus Operandi Modus Pale
  36. Colonial Pale Ale
  37. Heads of Noosa Japanese Lager
  38. Modus Operandi Sonic Prayer
  39. Ballistic Beer Oaked XPA
  40. Grifter Pale
  41. Hop Nation J-Juice
  42. Black Hops Super Hornet
  43. Brick Lane One Love
  44. Grifter Serpent’s Kiss
  45. Modus Operandi Former Tenant
  46. Capital Brewing Trail Pale
  47. Akasha Hopsmith IPA
  48. Capital Brewing Rock Hopper
  49. Black Hops Neverland
  50. Black Hops Caribbean Haze
  51. Balter & Garage Project Dry Haze
  52. Cronulla Brewing Co Next Level IPA
  53. Brick Lane Draught
  54. Dainton Blood Orange NERIPA
  55. Ballistic Beer Mexican Hot Stout
  56. Hawke’s Brewing Co Patio Pale
  57. Dainton Jungle Juice
  58. Black Hops Send It
  59. Modus Operandi Lost in the Fog
  60. Mountain Goat GOAT
  61. Colonial South West Sour
  62. Your Mates Macca
  63. Moon Dog Splice of Heaven
  64. Brick Lane Base Lager
  65. Ballistic Beer Lager
  66. James Squire 150 Lashes
  67. Hawke’s Brewing Co Hawke’s Lager
  68. Your Mates Donnie
  69. Little Creatures Pale
  70. Coopers XPA
  71. Bridge Road Brewers Beechy XPA
  72. Capital Brewing Evil Eye
  73. Capital Brewing Hang Loose Juice
  74. Your Mates Eddie
  75. Coopers Original Pale Ale
  76. Burleigh Big Head
  77. Deeds Juice Train
  78. Bridge Road Brewers Bling
  79. Pirate Life South Coast Pale
  80. Colonial IPA
  81. Dainton Supertrooper
  82. Blackman’s Juicy Banger
  83. Akasha Mosaic IPA
  84. Coopers Hazy IPA
  85. Moon Dog Beer Can
  86. Hawkers West Coast IPA
  87. Jetty Road Pale Ale
  88. 4 Pines Amber
  89. Brick Lane Avalanche
  90. 10 Toes Culture Kick Sour
  91. Bridge Road Brewers Little Bling
  92. Hawke’s Brewing Co Hawke’s Legend
  93. Capital Brewing Summit Session Ale
  94. Hawke’s Brewing Co Hawke’s Opener
  95. Feral Hop Hog
  96. Grifter Brewing Co Pink Galah
  97. Ballistic Beer Water Me Lawn Gose
  98. Furphy Furphy Refreshing Ale
  99. Moon Dog Lager
  100. Bad Shepherd Peanut Butter Porter.

 

Andy Young

Andy joined Intermedia as Editor of The Shout in 2015, writing news on a daily basis and also writing features for National Liquor News. Now Managing Editor of both The Shout and Bars and Clubs.

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