The results of the GABS Hottest 100 Kiwi Craft Beers poll are in for the fourth year, and New Zealand’s favourite craft beers have been revealed in all their frothy, hoppy glory.

After winning the top spot in both 2016 and 2017, Panhead Custom Ales’ ‘Supercharger’ was back to reclaim the 2019 title, knocking the 2018 winner – Garage Project’s ‘Pernicious Weed’ – back into second place. But despite being chopped from the top, the Wellington brewery went on to dominate the top 10, taking out both third and sixth place. With 22 of their beers making the top 100, Garage Project continues to go from strength to strength – with Auckland’s Behemoth Brewing Co and Deep Creek Brewing Co hot on their heels (with 13 and 6 placings respectively).

There’s plenty to celebrate as the world of Kiwi craft beer continues to grow – driven by passionate brewers and sprinkled with plenty of ingenuity. But since choosing a favourite will always be a subjective affair (and the subject of plenty of debate over a couple of cold ones), here’s our top picks from the Top 10.

Supercharger (#1)

Panhead Custom Ales

Fancy a kick in the taste buds? Packing a hefty 5.7% ABV and a delightfully bitter flavour, Supercharger still manages to deliver an impressive array of aromatic hop flavours and a long, herby finish. It’s easy to see why it remains a craft crowd-pleaser year after year after year.

Pernicious Weed (#2)

Garage Project

Riffing on the moral panic surrounding the brewing scene in 1500s England, this Garage Project creation showcases the full depth and power of hops – the ‘Wicked and Pernicious Weed’. It’s clean and crisp, lively and hoppy, and difficult to fault. Don’t let the zesty grapefruit flavour fool you though – with 8% ABV, Pernicious Weed dishes out a wicked kick. Not for craft newbies!

Lid Ripper (#7)

Behemoth Brewing Co

Designed to be drunk directly from the can, Lid Ripper IPA offers a big, juicy taste with more restrained bitterness than your average IPA. Featuring ‘a stupid amount of hops’ including the newly created Lemondrop Hops, Lid Ripper might be a small can – but it delivers by the bucket load.

Misty Miyagi (#4)

Deep Creek Brewing Co

The standout star of Deep Creek’s Haiku range of hazy beers, Misty Miyagi tastes wonderfully tropical – with passionfruit, mango and citrus flavours all bursting out of a seriously juicy beer. It’s a summer Sensei – strong but gentle, with just a little bitterness hidden in the haze.