Australia’s First Lady of Beer, Kirrily Waldhorn, reveals the best beers and ciders at your local bottle-o, with picks that will convert even non-beer drinkers. Finding your perfect beer is easier than you think. From crisp and refreshing or dark and roasty to fruity, funky or hop-loaded, beer spans seven distinct flavour profiles. Whether you’re a sunshine sipper or a bold flavour chaser, there’s a style with your name on it. Cheers to that!
Bright, clean and refreshing, these light-bodied beers finish dry and snappy, offering subtle fruit, malt or hop characters that sing sessionability. Here are four of the best…
With its tagline “Just add sunshine”, Balter’s Cerveza is truly summer in a bottle, brewed for refreshment and warm days. It is exactly what a Mexican-style lager should be: clean, crisp and refreshingly dry.
The Spanish word for ‘beer’ – and an increasingly popular style of lager – Kaiju’s Cerveza was judged the Best Australian Style Lager at last year’s Australian International Beer Awards. It delivers exactly what it promises: clean, dry, crisp and deliciously easy drinking.
Launched in 2023, Coopers Australian Lager does exactly what it says on the tin, offering light passionfruit notes from Aussie hops that finishes clean and refreshing.
Inspired by the first-ever Czech pilsners brewed in 1842, this award-winning pilsner uses Bohemian malt and Czech hops to deliver balanced floral notes wrapped in a light honey malt layer.
Bold and aromatic, the ever-popular hop-driven beers deliver lifted citrus, vibrant bitterness and tropical notes, balanced by a subtle malt backbone. Keep reading for the top picks…
In a cool retro can, Philter XPA bursts with light tropical hops, well-contained in a refreshing, cloudy and very flavoursome extra pale ale.
Screaming with classic US hop characters of pine and stone fruit, wrapped up in a well-balanced 4.4% package, Mountain Goat’s Tasty Pale Ale is indeed very tasty.
This flavour bomb has to be one of the most popular IPAs for those who love the style. Big citrus hops and a full-body experience will have hop-lovers exploding with delight. Perfectly paired with a spicy Indian curry.
Building on Stone & Wood’s Pacific Ale heritage, this very drinkable pale ale is loaded up with Australian-grown hops, which are famous for their juicy tropical fruit and citrus notes, perfectly complemented by a light malt backbone. Another award-winning beer, scooping Champion Australian Beer at the 2024 Australian International Beer Awards.
Rich and indulgent, malt-driven beers showcase caramel, toffee and toasted notes, offering comforting depth and smooth, warming characters, ideal for autumn. Here are our faves…
Named after two legendary Rogers from the early days of Little Creatures Brewery, this mid-strength amber ale packs a punch of soft-roasted toffee and citrus hops, reminiscent of an orange marmalade. It’s good enough to have with toast for breakfast.
An oldie but a goodie, this beer is as beautiful to look at as it is to drink. Deep ruby red from specialty malts, the Celtic Red Ale drips in caramel and toffee with hints of nuttiness, serving up a wonderful nod to those beers long loved by the Celtic cultures of Europe.
Expressive and approachable, these beers burst with yeast, fruit or spice character, delivering vibrant flavour with gentle bitterness. Sip away with these options…
This fruity, puckering kettle sour is a little Alice in Wonderland adventure of fresh raspberries, blueberries and blackberries that is the perfect beer to accompany a sunny afternoon, a picnic blanket in the park and some creamy goat’s cheese.
