7 Australian-Brewed Beers You Need to Try

Australia is known for having a beer culture that is very strong. In fact, pubs all over Australia now serve more than 200 different kinds of beer from all over the world.

The AIBA recognises Australia’s best brewers and best beers. It gives up to 35 trophies to the winners of each category, including Champion International Beer and Champion Australian Beer. So, let’s look at some of the most popular options for flavourful Australian craft beer bottles you must try, as described by the brewers themselves.

Sobremesa Fermentary & Blendery

Style: Saison in a Bottle
ABV: 5.6%

This is a blend of the makers’ three favourite saison barrels with ages ranging from 4 months to 2 years: 40% saison aged in a hogshead (4 months), 30% saison aged in a wine barrel for 16 months, and 30% saison aged in a luncheon for two years.

Savoury French oak and up-front stone fruit make for a really enjoyable trip on the palate. Dry and structured, with a hint of acidity. Super fresh, complex, and lifted, but still very easy to consume with your delicious barbeque meat. The best bottle for a Christmas table or any other table, for that matter. Gravity-bottled, unfined, unfiltered, bottle-conditioned, and adequate for vegans.
Deeds Brewing

Style: Farmhouse Ale in a Bottle
ABV: 8.8%

This ale is a beer-wine mix made in partnership with Lightfoot Wines. The details? 400 kg of Pinot Noir grapes were mixed with a strong, high-dextrin wort made for ageing and fermented together in stainless steel. After the first fermentation was done, Farmhouse Ale uses a basket press to get the beer out of the grapes.

Then they put the beer into oak barrels to age for another 12 months. With almost half of the fermentable grown on the vine, the result is a true mix of techniques and skills from both the winemaker and the brewer blended together in their must-try craft beer bottles.

Wildflower Brewing & Blending

Style: Wild Ale in a Bottle
ABV: 5%

Organic barley and wheat from NSW are used to make this ale. Organic Motueka hops from New Zealand are used to hop it. Dreamin’ is then unfiltered and aged in bottles showing the younger side of their mixed house culture, which is all made from flowers that grow in NSW. Dreamin’ fits in with beers like Vibe and Serenity.

It’s an ale made with organic regenerative barley and wheat, and it’s heavily hopped in the kettle and then dry-hopped with organic Motueka. It’s very clear, not too rough, and has a full mouthfeel with notes of lime, lemon, and the tropics. A touch of spice leads to an orange citrous bitterness that cleans the palate and makes the finish tasty.

Two Metre Tall Brewing Company

Style: Cider in a Bottle
ABV: 6.6%

The Westerway Raspberry Farm’s 2019 raspberries and Two Metre’s single-variety (Sturmer Pippin), wild-fermented and barrel-aged 2018 apple cider were mixed in oak hogsheads in May 2020. They were then left for two more winters and summers so that these two ingredients, which are the only two, could become one in the perfectly crafted beer bottles.

The key to this bottle is the balance between the rich and tart of the raspberries and the depth and complexity of their apple cider. The result has a hint of sweetness and warmth, with notes of cherry, raspberry, dark fruits, and earthy aromas. The way the tartness and sweetness mingle together makes this bottle a delicious journey for your taste buds.

Blackman’s Brewery

Style: Sour Ale in a Bottle
ABV: 4.5%

Kettle sour with natural acidity, fermented with lager yeast on French oak and seawater, hopped with Mosaic and Simcoe in the dry hop stage. A light, refreshing sour beer with hints of oak and tropical hops and a finish that is crisp, dry, and a bit salty. Its inherent complexity and balance make this a fantastic choice for those who appreciate sour beer, but also don’t want to be overwhelmed by it.

Future Mountain Brewing And Blending

Style: Wheat Beer in a Bottle
ABV: 5.9%

Mixed Ferment Witbier Aged in Oak Barrels with Chamomile and Tangerine – BEYOND THE HORIZON is a Witbier fermented in Oak Barrique Barrels with a mixed culture of Saccharomyces and Brettanomyces. After 3 months in the barrel, Chamomile and Tangelo peel is added directly to the barrel of this good brew.

This wheat beer has a bright straw-gold colour and a strong white head. Chamomile’s floral, perfume-like scent gives it a wonderful herbal flavour that stays with you on the tongue. As the beer warms up, you can taste more of the citrus notes. The herbal tea qualities and the juicy citrus peel play off each other in a way that stays on the palate. Notes of oak add to the breadth and depth of flavours.

Brewery: Frenchies

Style: Sour Ale in a Bottle
ABV: 7.6%

This red ale was aged in French oak barrels that used to house Shiraz from the Bird in Hand winery in the Adelaide Hills. It was first fermented clean in stainless steel with a mix of two yeast strains. At the end of the fermentation process, half of the wine was put into barrels and the other half was cooled, smashed, and drained before being put into barrels.

Once it was in barrels, lactobacillus, pediculus, and brettanomyces from Belgium were added to help it age. After getting enough oak flavour out of the barrels, they were mixed together to get the right balance. It has a clear character of confit cherries, toasted malt, oaky vanilla, and funk. It is smooth and round. It’s worth swirling and letting it breathe in the glass to bring out its full flavour. This beer has a soul.