Australia, crack open a craft beer while it’s still ice-cold!
Craft beer tastes better in winter because it’s colder and it’s best served amongst mates around a crackling backyard fire. From XPA to Hazy AF, we’ve got some of the best Australian made craft beers to make your next gathering remarkable.
They are juicy and punchy, each of these brews offers something grand for your discerning tastebuds. So stubby holders at the ready, sip into this list of the 10 best Australian made craft beers for winter 2021!
Image via Big Drop Brewing
Big Drop Brewing Co. Galactic Milk Stout
With low-alcohol drinks fast becoming a staple in the Australian market, we’ve got a juicy brew that’s big on flavour and low on booziness. Featuring notes of coffee, cocoa nibs and a lingering hint of sweet vanilla, the Big Drop Brewing Galactic Milk Stout is rich, dark and indulgent. Think of it as honeycomb covered in chocolate, because that’s exactly what it tastes like: rich, unctuous and an absolutely decadent treat of a beer.
Image via Dan Murphys.
Maku Hemp Session Ale
Hemp is one of those industrial products with a plethora of uses. And now it can be filtered into craft beer thanks to Maku ‒ a brewery tucked away in the Yarra Valley. This award-winning Hemp Session Ale honours the classic American pale ale by delicately fusing Australian-grown cannabis leaves with hops to produce an all-rounder craft beer. Enjoy on its own or match with whatever delightful degustation you wish.
Image via Young Henrys
Young Henrys x Rolling Stone The Unifier Hazy Pale
The good blokes at Rolling Stone Magazine have teamed up with Young Henrys to bring a craft beer that will put hair on your chest. This bold Hazy Pale was made with Golden Promise, malted and rolled oats, and stacks of hops for stone fruit aroma and flavour. It’s a fruit explosion, daring to be different, just like all the artists who end up in the pages of Rolling Stones Magazine. Best served with friends.
Image via Boozebud
Moon Dog The Duke Of Chifley
The Duke of Chifley carries with it the flavour and history of Moon Dog Brewing. It’s a big, boozy, barrel-aged barley wine that is deep burnt sienna in appearance. The recipes for barley wine (which is actually a beer) dates back to the 18th century. This craft beer has been aged in fresh Starward Whisky barrels for over nine months, which, along with the base beer, creates an unbelievably delicious golden syrup flavour and aroma.
Image via Boozebud
Vale Brewing East Coast IPA
South Australia’s McLaren Vale is not just renowned for their wine ‒ they also make tasty craft beer! Just like Vale Brewing’s Indian Pale Ale which is booming with hops and bursting with fruity flavours. This craft beer is a deeply aromatic brew, with citrus and pine on the nose and stone fruits on the palate – the perfect introduction for those diving into the world of hoppier beers!
Image via Boozebud
Heaps Normal Quiet XPA
The Heaps Normal Quiet Extra Pale Ale is another craft beer that’s big on flavour and low on alcohol content. A quintessential drop for those wishing to lower their drunkenness without compromising on their craft beer intake. Unfiltered with balanced bitterness and subtle malt sweetness, Heaps Normal Quiet XPA has no additives or preservatives and boasts a tropical and citrus aroma with a long-lasting beery finish.
Image via Craft Cartel
White Bay Ripple Effect Hazy IPA
White Bay Brewing sits on the gateway to the Balmain peninsula in Sydney, offering over 65 years’ worth of brewing experience. Their Ripple Effect Hazy IPA is easily their haziest beer to date, pumping with aromas and flavours of ripe rockmelon, pineapple, and citrus courtesy of simcoe, citra, and mosaic hops. Double dry-hopped for your pleasure and cold conditioned for many moons, this baby is as smooth as an effective pickup line.
Image via Craft Cartel
Mountain Culture Hot Wax NEIPA
Brewed on top of the world at Katoomba, New South Wales, Mountain Culture’s Hot Wax NEIPA is a testament to New England IPAs. It’s hazy and low on bitterness. In other words, a fruitful explosion thanks to New World hops and squeezes of tangerine and mango. At a boozy 8.2% ABV, this “velvety mouthfeel is the pièce de résistance that will also hopefully help remove any unwanted visuals your mind may have conjured up from the name.” According to Mountain Culture Beer Co.
Image via Beer Cartel
Hop Nation Yama Yuzu Mountain Lager
Sometimes you don’t want to overload your mouth with all sorts of confusing flavours, and that’s where lagers come in handy. Hop Nation Brewing’s Yama Yuzu Mountain Lager is clean, crisp and totally enjoyable. But it’s not too plain; this craft beer still packs a punch. Citra hops and tangy yuzu fight it out on the slopes, catching you in the crossfire with a fresh citrusy hit. Best swigged on a mountain top.
Image via Beer Cartel
Nomad Iron Maiden Trooper XPA
Just like the band, Nomad Brewery’s Iron Maiden Trooper XPA is a devilishly good drop. It’s a brew concocted between Iron Maiden’s lead singer Bruce Dickinson and Nomad Brewery to celebrate Iron Maiden’s impending return to the Australian stage. The Trooper XPA offers low bitterness, refreshing aromas and is brewed with a unique dry hopping blend of Australian and American hops. The perfect blend for Iron Maiden and Nomad fans alike.
Looking for something that is sweet and stout? Be sure to try Koko Black and Modus Operandi’s quirky chocolate beer. And, why not crack open a cold one at one of these 9 Best Australian Country Pubs?
Feature image: Photographed by George Cox. Image via Unsplash.
Editor’s Note: Our writers and contributors have independently selected and curated this article, and all opinions are their own. This article does contain affiliate links which allow us to make revenue off some purchases made by our readers.