IPAs, chocolate infused delights and a selection of dark beers for winter is the best way to warm up this season.
As the nights are longer and the days are getting colder, now is a better time than ever to stock up on some warming winter brews. All of course made right here in Australia!
So, to celebrate the season, we’ve rounded up a list of some humble Aussie brews that are perfect for winter 2022. But this year, we’re shining a light on craft beers that are invigorated with lashing of rum, infused with hints of coffee and as smooth and tasty as a block of chocolate.
Round up some mates, get a fire cracking and celebrate what the cold season has to bring with our list of the best Australian made craft beers for winter 2022!
Image via Beer Cartel website.
Hop Nation Brewing Co Build A Bridge
Have you ever wanted to build a bridge and get over it? This tropical punch of a beer will help you do exactly that. Showcasing Nelson Sauvin hops, this New Zealand IPA is of course paired with that iconic Australian brewing method that we all love. Unlike other contenders that are featured on this list, Hop Nation’s Build A Bridge isn’t an Australian dark beer. It is however a brew that is packed with tropical notes of lychee and mango. Like a getaway or much-needed holiday in a can. With crushed gooseberries and spicy blackpepper, we recommend chilling and popping open as you watch the sunset.
Image via Beer Cartel website.
White Bay Beer Co. Onward Ever Onward Imperial Stout
Us Aussies love our coffee. We also love our beer. Thankfully, the genius team over at White Bay Beer Co. saw the two rarely ever mingled – especially by Australian craft beer brewers. This is where their Onward Ever Onward Imperial Stout comes in. Think of it as an alcoholic coffee served cold that is best enjoyed after a long day by a crackling fire. Loaded with hints of macadamia and hazelnut, drinkers will also find an eclectic blend of granola, cinnamon and coffee to infuse an overall blood orange, rose and dried cherry expression. Wonderfully executed, this is by far one of the best Australian dark beers for winter 2022.
Image via Beer Cartel website.
Cheeky Monkey Brewing Co. Lefties Hazy IPA
Dreaming of a tropical holiday to escape the winter cold? Cheeky Monkey Brewing Co. is sure to take you there with their Lefties Hazy IPA – a sippable oasis. A cross between a New England and Hazy IPA, if you thought that this beer-type was the only fusion you’d receive, you’d be wrong. Featuring a vibrant orange hue, Lefties Hazy IPA is packed with punches of orange, mango and lemonade. With a pillowy mouthfeel, drinkers will find flavours of candied citrus and piney bitterness at the forefront. A fruit salad of flavours, this outstanding Australian craft beer seems like the only solution to sticking out the season.
Image via Beer Cartel website.
Wayward Brewing Co. Sourade Red Rush Berry Beer
If there’s something that this Sydney based brewery knows how to do, it’s brew beer. Better yet, fruit infused beers that are set to stun drinkers after the very first sip. After their Blue Blast Berry Sourade won the GABS 2021 People’s Choice Award, Wayward decided to make its match with the Sourade Red Rush Berry Gose. No ordinary beer, this sour ale features a refreshingly tart, bright red soure ale packed with electrolytes and big raspberry flavours. Best enjoyed with an Australian brie or as its own to give your tastebuds that little kick they’ve been searching for.
Image via Beer Cartel.
Fox Hat Brewing Co. Rusty Mongrel Rum Barrel Aged Stout
There’s rum and coke, but never have you thought of rum and beer! Although this drop by South Australia’s Fox Hat Brewing isn’t technically a mix of the two liquors in one; in our eyes we see this dabbling as just that. We’re just excited! Titling the Rusty Mongrel Rum Barrel Aged Stout as one of Australia’s best winter beers, it comes to no surprise that Fox Hat made this list – they have been producing award-winning brews since their inception. As we go back to the beer, this double stout was made after it say in ex Beenleigh rum barrels for 10 months. A dark beer that this sure to warm up any winter!
Image via Beer Cartel website.
White Bay Beer Co. Vestige Double Red IPA
If you’re looking for an Australian dark beer for winter that exudes flavours of fruit without being too sweet, White Bay’s Vestige Double Red IPA is the beer for you. Hailing from New South Wales, this IPA is the ultimate winter warmer. Loaded with New Zealand grown specialty malts, the Vestige Double Red IPA also features a selection of American, German and, of course, Australian hops. Featuring explosions of sweet red berries, pine and citrus, the overall taste is best described as a firm bitterness that “keeps the elbow bent.” But it doesn’t stop there. To make this IPA stand out from the rest, White Bay fermented this beer with a unique ale yeast strain that can be traced back to its origins in Cologne Germany. A must try this winter 2022!
Image via Beer Cartel website.
Range Brewing Intuition Oatmeal Stout
If you thought that a winter warmer could only be a lamb roast or spicy curry, you are wrong. Changing the game this winter 2022 is Range Brewing’s Intuition Oatmeal Stout. Hitting the spot if you’re craving an Australian dark beer, this full-bodied brew still somehow keeps things sensible. Packed inside this groovy can is a light espresso roast that’s mixed in with milk chocolate and a medium backed bitterness. The perfect accompaniment after a sweet treat, hearty meal or any occasion really!
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Pirate Life x La Popular Taqueria Choc-Bourbon Barrel-Aged Mole Negro Imperial Stout
When two South Australian establishments join up for a brew, you know it’s going to be good. So what’s so special? After ageing the beer for five months in choc-bourbon barrels, drinkers will find a beverage that is best described as “delectably complex”. With cocoa, traditional spices and four chili variants, this Australian craft beer certainly packs a punch. Devilishly invigorating, if you enjoy bourbon soaked raisins, dark chocolate hazelnut, espresso and much more, you must try this.
Image via Beer Cartel website.
Mountain Culture Kraftwerk Orange Choc Orange Imperial Stout
As part of their winter series, Mountain Culture has partnered up with Blue Mountains chocolatier Meltdown Artisan to create the Kraftwerk Orange Choc Orange Imperial Stout. With richly intense cocoa powder sourced from the Solomon Islands and orange rinds that were added in post fermentation, this Australian dark beer features an overall refreshing kick that compliments orange to chocolate. It’s like a Jaffas, but in beer form. Of course, the fun doesn’t stop there. To make the partnership that bit sweeter, Meltdown have created a chocolate bar to match. Yum!
Image via Beer Cartel website.
Hop Nation Brewing Co Devil's Dance Floor
Are you looking for a dessert beer? And no, we’re not talking about a beer that’s matched to a dessert course. We’re talking about a dessert in a can! Beer form! Well, with Hop Nation’s Devil’s Dance Floor, this is exactly what you’ll get. It’s like a party but in your mouth. Devilishly sweet, this outstanding craft beer sees sweet and salty combine for a dance-off like no other. Beyond good and evil, this craft beer will make you consider selling your soul to get your hands on another can. Best enjoyed as you sit around a fire as you munch on some popcorn or lightly salted nuts.
Looking for an alternative? After you’ve drank your way through these craft beers for winter, switch to something lighter with our list of the Best Low Alcohol and Non-Alcoholic Australian Beers. Think you know your beer? Test your knowledge with our Beer Style Quiz!
