Love it or hate it, you certainly can’t ignore the Local Taphouse Hottest 100 each year.

There will be the inevitable complaints about people gaming the system, beers with greater reach doing better in the poll than better beers, and the other complaints that boil down to “how come my favourite isn’t everyone else’s favourite”. Despite that, this is still the best organised and run, methodical and most comprehensive poll on the Australian beer calendar. Sure, any election process will throw up the odd Jacqui Lambie, but you lose your right to complain about the results if you don’t vote.

Looking at the polls as a whole, the number of beers has grown dramatically over the last five years and the spectrum of beers making the Hottest 100 has evolved too. It provides a great snapshot of the last twelve months of beer drinking and a record of a very turbulent time on beer growth and development. Brews News is very proud to join with the Crafty Pint to support the Local Taphouses’ annual poll.

Start making your lists and checking them twice to work out which brewers have been nice, and make sure you vote. [MK]

Media Release

Call to join in the Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2014 celebrations

The Local Taphouse invites craft beer fans and businesses around Australia to join in the Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2014 celebrations

We’re less than a month away from the start of voting in this year’s Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers of 2014 poll in which thousands of beer lovers around the country vote for their favourite Australian craft beers of the year. Will Feral Brewing’s Hop Hog take the crown again and which new beers and breweries will make their debut in the final 100?

Started by The Local Taphouse beer venues in Melbourne and Sydney in 2008 as a bit of fun for staff and customers, the annual poll now attracts thousands of voters around the country, involves many Australia Day events at leading craft beer businesses and sees the results countdown on Australia Day and subsequent debate even trending on Twitter.

This year, together with Australian Brews News and Crafty Pint, The Local Taphouse is hoping to get even more voters and craft beer venues and stores involved.

As Guy Greenstone from The Local Taphouse explains, “The Hottest 100 beers poll has become a great national celebration of Aussie craft beer. There are already 20 craft beer venues and bottle stores signed up as Official Venues and with the final number expected to be closer to 40 venues,that’s more than double last year”.

Being an Official Venue involves rallying your customers to vote by promoting the poll and then either running a Hottest 100 Beers event on Australia Day to coincide with the final countdown or a promotion immediately after the poll. Official Venues can also now receive two complimentary tickets to either GABS Melbourne or GABS Sydney next May.

If any craft beer focussed venues are interested in becoming an Official Venue, they can emailsteve@thelocal.com.au before the end of November.

Voting commences on Monday December 15 until Friday January 9th at The Local Taphouse, Crafty Pint and Australian Brews News websites.

For the 2013 results, click here or here.

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