From refreshing new takes on classic styles to brews with bolder flavours, these new releases prove that beer is keeping up.

As much as the newfangled world of natural wines loves to dine out on funky flavours, hipster-bait labels and the ideal of bringing easy-drinking drops to long, sunny picnics, beer has long taken on an equally experimental and diverse identity. Variants like sours and goses have found new popularity for their unique tastes, while craft brewers are now taking classical lager and ale styles into new dimensions. They’re introducing new flavours and textures that offer something for even the people who swear they’ll never be beer drinkers.

With Australia’s natural preference for easy-drinking, warm-weather beers well and truly set in stone, beermakers around the nation have been hard at work coming up with new spins on the exact kind of beer that pairs best with cruisy afternoons, good music and better friends. Here are five of our favourites that are set to drop just in time for the warmer weather to arrive.

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1. Largo Clean Lager Carbon Neutral

Celebrity partnership beers are on the rise, and Australian celebrities (think The Inspired Unemployed) tend to do it right. Now, the Lime Cordiale boys, soundtrack purveyors for countless laidback Aussie barbecues, have arrived with the perfect beer to pair with their easygoing brand of indie pop. Largo Clean Lager is an easy-drinking, carbon-neutral lager that goes with just about anything. We actually interviewed brothers Oli and Louis (Lime Cordiale’s frontmen) all about it and we’re very excited about this launch.

2. Largo The Dawdler Carbon Neutral Low Carb Lager

For those days where something a little lighter is required, The Dawdler provides an alternative to Largo’s full-strength lager and it delivers big on flavour with a low-carb, low-alcohol and, once again, carbon-neutral footprint. They’ve somehow managed to cram all that same great taste from their original Clean Lager into this low-carb number, and we’re predicting big things for it this summer.

3. Hurricane Head Ginger Beer

Drinks born in the sub-tropics have a special knack for being just the right kind of thirst-quenching tipples Aussies love, and Hurricane Head looks poised to tap directly into a space that’s become one of the most popular in Australia. We’re talking about ginger beer. Hurricane Head’s new Ginger Beer provides the perfect balance of flavour from 100% Queensland ginger and sessionability for lazy summer afternoons.

4. Coopers Australian Lager

Coopers beers are stone-cold Australian classics and the bedrock on which our booming craft beer industry was built, but their classic Sparkling Ale and timeless green label Pale Ale can sometimes make for a slightly heavier drinking experience. The brand’s first true-blue Australian Lager is designed to change that, combining the brewery’s own lager malt with new-world hops to create a light, zesty version of the Aussie favourite.

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5. Amply’s Ginger Beer 6.9% Zero Sugar

Amply’s Hard Ginger Beer is a bold, unapologetic kind of drink, yet one designed with a more thoughtful kind of consumer in mind. Strong flavoured and without the sugar, it’s spicy, refreshing and not too sweet. Cloudy, spicy and delicious!