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The top 7 Australian beers we're drinking at our next BBQ

Read time 5 Mins

Posted 24 Oct 2022

By
Patrick Boxall

Our resident craft beer expert, Ryan, rates his favourite BBQ-ready beers from across the country.

Ryan is the resident craft beer expert at our store in Collingwood, Melbourne – an inner-city suburb that may well be the epicentre of Australia's craft community. Hipsters and hops go hand-in-hand here, so we asked Ryan which Aussie brews he's regularly recommending for a backyard barbecue – these are a few of his favourites:

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From VIC: Kaiju Krush Tropical Pale Ale

'I guess I'll start in my own backyard," says Ryan. "I'd definitely highlight Kaiju Krush, who are based in Dandenong and began as a really small indie brewery. This is the beer that made Kaiju famous: a tropical pale ale with lots of pineapple and papaya flavours, as well as a big hoppy hit. It's featured in the Top 10 at GABS Hottest 100 over the past few years and is great for a barbecue, sitting around in the sunshine with a couple of mates."

From NSW: Modus Operandi Former Tenant Red IPA

"Modus Operandi is one of my favourite breweries," says Ryan. "They're based in Newcastle and my favourite beer from them is the Former Tenant Red IPA. It's the perfect blend between an IPA and amber ale, so there are toffee and caramel flavours as well as these piney, earthy notes. It's quite strong, so I don't suggest having too many, but they're really, really tasty and will pair well with a dessert thanks to those caramel flavours. If you wanted to go all out at a barbecue, you could organise a crème brûlée as a dessert and serve this beer alongside it."

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From QLD: Black Hops Brewery G.O.A.T. Hazy IPA

The Burleigh-based Black Hops Brewery is anything but a covert operation, serving up some of the finest beers in the Sunshine State with the Gold Coast's postcard-perfect beaches serving as a backdrop. "My favourite Black Hops beer is the G.O.A.T," says Ryan, "which is a Hazy IPA that came in #5 in the GABS Hottest 100 last year. It's really juicy, packed full of tropical fruits and goes well with anything lathered in spicy BBQ sauce."

From the ACT: BentSpoke Barley Griffin Pale Ale

Craft-beer enthusiasts will be no stranger to BentSpoke Brewing Co, whose Crankshaft IPA took out top spot in the 2020 GABS Hottest 100. "It would be remiss of me not to speak about BentSpoke," says Ryan, "but my pick would be the Barley Griffin Pale Ale, which rounded out the GABS Top 10. It's clean and crisp with a bit of bite; an unreal beer that deserves to be as popular as the Crankshaft IPA." Ryan's food recommendation? A flame-grilled Cajun chicken burger, don't skimp on the hot sauce.

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From SA: Little Bang Face Inverter Citrus Super Sour

It's all in the name, right? "The Face Inverter is a super sour, and one of the most sour beers I've ever had," says Ryan. "But it's still really, really delicious and Little Bang Brewing Co is a fantastic Adelaide brewery. This beer is meant to be so sour it inverts your face when you drink it, so I think it will complement any foods that are rich and intense. It has good acid content too, which will help cleanse the palate, so something sweet and sticky like barbecued ribs will always be a great choice."

From TAS: Moo Brew Single Hop IPA

Moo Brew is the brewchild of MONA founder David Walsh and can be found on the banks of the River Derwent, right outside Tasmania's most famous museum, and if there's a better spot for a brewery, we're yet to stumble upon it. "I love these beers," says Ryan, "and I love visiting the brewery too. My favourite is the Single Hop IPA, which has great flavour and comes in tallboy cans too. It's a more approachable, less intense style of IPA, meaning you can have a couple with your meal and not be overpowered by the hops or bitterness."

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From WA: Feral Brewing Biggie Juice East Coast IPA

There are plenty of talented craft brewers in Western Australia, but it's tough to go past the legends at Feral Brewing. They've been frequent fixtures at the top of the GABS Hottest 100 and Biggie Juice remains a crowd favourite. "It's similar to Black Hops G.O.A.T. in style," says Ryan, "with super tropical mango and pineapple flavours. It has a mouth-coating texture, low bitterness and it's a great beer for people who aren't necessarily used to drinking craft." Match those tropical flavours with a salad packed full of grilled prawns and mango for an epic backyard feast.
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ModusFormer Tennant Red IPA Can 375mL
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Black HopsGOAT Hazy IPA Cans 375mL
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BentSpoke Brewing Co.Barley Griffin Pale Ale Cans 375mL
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Little BangFace Inverter Citrus Super Sour Cans 375mL
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Patrick BoxallPatrick Boxall is a wine-loving writer based in Melbourne. His first word was 'No', and he has spent the remainder of his life attempting to remedy this poor attitude.
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Hit ListCraft BeerSour beerPale AleBeerIPA
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