Queensland brewing company Balter has been named Australia’s Best Brewery in a study of over 18,000 craft beer drinkers by Beer Cartel.
Stirling Howland, co-founder and brand director of Balter Brewing Company said the result was incredible.
“To win this award on the back of the Hottest 100 earlier in the year is a wonderful feeling. We’ve been kicking around for two and a half years and it has been a pretty amazing journey to date. When we started Balter, it was always about the beer and connecting to our community through our work. We’ve been blown away by how well our beer and brand has been received and these types of people’s choice awards are a real affirmation that we’re on the right track” said Howland.
Director of Beer Cartel Richard Kelsey said that Balter’s win highlights how young and dynamic the industry is.
“We’ve been doing the Australian Craft Beer Survey for the past three years – in that time three different breweries have taken out the title of Australia’s best brewery. With now well over 400 breweries in Australia and a new brewery starting every week it really does show how quickly the industry is evolving,” Kelsey said.
The 2018 Australian Craft Beer Survey is the most comprehensive study ever undertaken of Australian craft beer drinkers.
The study found that there is a strong desire to support independent Aussie breweries with one-third of respondents aware of the Independence Seal released by the Independent Brewers Association in May this year. Over 80% of these said the seal will influence future purchases.
The majority of craft beer drinkers are on the lookout for new beers to try with almost half of purchases by Australian craft beer drinkers being beers they have never previously tried.
The study also revealed that few people are using the Container Deposit Scheme implemented by the NSW Government in 2017. Just 14% regularly take their used bottles and cans to a collection point, with the majority (68%) preferring kerbside recycling.
