The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

25 Australian tinnies to drink this summer

Callan Boys
Callan Boys

Pirate Life Throwback IPA
1 / 26Pirate Life Throwback IPASupplied
Rocks Brewing Co., Conviction Series Pale Ale.
2 / 26Rocks Brewing Co., Conviction Series Pale Ale. Supplied
Colonial Brewing Co., Draught Kolsch Ale, 4.8% ABV
3 / 26Colonial Brewing Co., Draught Kolsch Ale, 4.8% ABV Supplied
Modus Operandi, Session IPA, 4.1% ABV
4 / 26Modus Operandi, Session IPA, 4.1% ABV Supplied
Moo Brew, Single Hop Pale Ale, 4.8% ABV
5 / 26Moo Brew, Single Hop Pale Ale, 4.8% ABV Tertius Pickard
Carlton & United Breweries, Victoria Bitter, 4.9% ABV
6 / 26Carlton & United Breweries, Victoria Bitter, 4.9% ABV Chris Pearce
Balter Brewing Company, Alt Brown, 5.2% ABV
7 / 26Balter Brewing Company, Alt Brown, 5.2% ABV Supplied
Coopers, Dr Tim's Traditional Ale, 4.5% ABV
8 / 26Coopers, Dr Tim's Traditional Ale, 4.5% ABV Chris Pearce
Australian Brewery, Saison D'Heretique, 6.2% ABV
9 / 26Australian Brewery, Saison D'Heretique, 6.2% ABV Chris Pearce
Pirate Life, Throwback IPA, 3.5% ABV
10 / 26Pirate Life, Throwback IPA, 3.5% ABV John Kruger
Mornington Peninsula Brewery, Hop Culture Session IPA, 4.9%  ABV
11 / 26Mornington Peninsula Brewery, Hop Culture Session IPA, 4.9% ABV Supplied
Nomad, Freshie Salt & Pepper Gose, 4.5% ABV
12 / 26Nomad, Freshie Salt & Pepper Gose, 4.5% ABV Supplied
Yulli's Brews, Seabass Mediterranean Lager, 4.2% ABV
13 / 26Yulli's Brews, Seabass Mediterranean Lager, 4.2% ABV Supplied
Sailor's Grave, Southern Right Ale, 4.7% ABV
14 / 26Sailor's Grave, Southern Right Ale, 4.7% ABV Supplied
Green Beacon, Wayfarer USA, 4.9% ABV
15 / 26Green Beacon, Wayfarer USA, 4.9% ABV Supplied
4 Pines, Indian Summer Pale Ale, 4.2% ABV
16 / 264 Pines, Indian Summer Pale Ale, 4.2% ABV Supplied
Young Henrys, Newtowner Pale Ale, 4.8% ABV
17 / 26Young Henrys, Newtowner Pale Ale, 4.8% ABV Supplied
Sauce Brewing, Saucy Saison, 6% ABV
18 / 26Sauce Brewing, Saucy Saison, 6% ABVSupplied
Mountain Goat, Summer Ale, 4.7% ABV
19 / 26Mountain Goat, Summer Ale, 4.7% ABVChris Pearce
Blackman's Brewery, Unfiltered Lager, 4.6% ABV
20 / 26Blackman's Brewery, Unfiltered Lager, 4.6% ABV Supplied
Bentspoke Brewing Co., Barley Griffin Canberra Pale Ale, 4.2% ABV
21 / 26Bentspoke Brewing Co., Barley Griffin Canberra Pale Ale, 4.2% ABV Supplied
Lord Nelson, Quayle Summer Ale, 4.2% ABV
22 / 26Lord Nelson, Quayle Summer Ale, 4.2% ABV Supplied
Batch Brewing Co., American Pale Ale, 5.2% ABV
23 / 26Batch Brewing Co., American Pale Ale, 5.2% ABV Supplied
Vale Ale, Australian Pale Ale, 4.5% ABV
24 / 26Vale Ale, Australian Pale Ale, 4.5% ABVSupplied
Fox Hat, Phat Mongrel Oatmeal Stout, 6.5% ABV
25 / 26Fox Hat, Phat Mongrel Oatmeal Stout, 6.5% ABV John Kruger
Little Creatures Dog Days Summer Ale, 4.4% ABV
26 / 26Little Creatures Dog Days Summer Ale, 4.4% ABV Supplied

Summer in Australia means cold beer. And the best way to drink cold beer is in a can. Here are 25 tins to get your mouth around this silly season.

You can buy most of these grenades at specialty retailers such as Medhurst and Sons in Sydney, Slowbeer in Melbourne and, if you're reading this in Brisbane, Cellarbrations Bowen Hills (it's a Cellarbrations, yes, but old mate stocks a ripper range of tins). Meanwhile, Beer Cartel is your spot for online shopping.

Rocks Brewing Co., Conviction Series Pale Ale, 3.5 per cent ABV

Pirate Life Throwback IPA
Pirate Life Throwback IPASupplied
Advertisement

A full-flavoured, hoppy mid-strength slammer. For drinking with in-laws you don't want to be shickered around.

Modus Operandi, Session IPA, 4.1 per cent ABV

Hoppy and dry with melon on the nose, chill this 500mL big boy until it's ice-cold. For drinking by the river with a line in the water.

Moo Brew, Single Hop Pale Ale, 4.8 per cent ABV

Advertisement

A highly smashable beer brewed with one malt and one hop for clean, straight-shooting bitterness. For blistering hot days when seat-belt buckles turn into branding irons.

Carlton & United Breweries, Victoria Bitter, 4.9 per cent ABV

What else are you going to use for backyard cricket stumps? An empty carton of craft beer? Get real. For dancing to How to Make Gravy.

Balter Brewing Company, Alt Brown, 5.2 per cent ABV

A smooth-talking, almost-an-altbier from Mick Fanning's Currumbin brewery with toasty chocolate notes intensified by a spell in a can. For campfires and old Kuta Lines jumpers.

Advertisement

Coopers, Dr Tim's Traditional Ale, 4.5 per cent ABV

A fantastically crisp beer from South Australia's finest. For peeling prawns on the back deck.

Australian Brewery, Saison D'Heretique, 6.2 per cent ABV

Did anyone imagine a decade ago that one day we would drink Australia-made saison from a tin? Yes? Oh, well. Carry on then. Zingy with citrus and green peppercorns. For a prelude to afternoon napping.

Advertisement

Pirate Life, Throwback IPA, 3.5 per cent ABV

Love hops? Love sticky, bitter mid-strength beers that taste a little bit like honey? If yes, come on board. For Sunday sessions in the sun.

Mornington Peninsula Brewery, Hop Culture Session IPA, 4.9 per cent ABV

A tropical fruit bomb that's surprisingly drinkable. About as hoppy as an Aussie beer should ever be in summer. For knocking back while you water the garden.

Nomad, Freshie Salt & Pepper Gose, 4.5 per cent ABV

Advertisement

Gose is increasingly popular German beer style that uses salted water as an ingredient. Nomad brews beer on Sydney's Northern Beaches, so naturally they've included a few buckets of Freshie seawater in this energising brew. For post-surf refreshment when there's still sand in your togs.

Yulli's Brews, Seabass Mediterranean Lager, 4.2 per cent ABV

Unfiltered fun times with a floral nose. For fish and chips with a fistful of chicken salt.

Colonial Brewing Co., Draught Kolsch Ale, 4.8 per cent ABV

Advertisement

An anytime/anywhere brew with hints of lemon and passionfruit. For getting you back in the mood on Boxing Day morning.

Sailor's Grave, Southern Right Ale, 4.7 per cent ABV

There can never be enough malty beers still drinkable in 38-degree heat like this one. Never. For every backyard barbecue between Christmas and New Year's.

Green Beacon, Wayfarer USA, 4.9 per cent ABV

A hoppy (but not too hoppy) American-style wheat beer out of Teneriffe, Queensland. For getting a shine on at sea.

Advertisement

4 Pines, Indian Summer Pale Ale, 4.2 per cent ABV

Quenching, quaffable and quick to drink, this beer is crisper than that lettuce on your Boxing Day sandwich. For watching the tide roll away on the dock of a bay.

Young Henrys, Newtowner Pale Ale, 4.8 per cent ABV

Celebrate 150 years of Newtown pride by cracking a case of these crackers. For You Am I singalongs in an Enmore share house.

Sauce Brewing, Saucy Saison, 6 per cent ABV

Advertisement

Try saying Saucy Saison ten times fast. Hmm. It actually isn't that hard. Apologies. Much like this Belgo-French farmhouse ale isn't that hard to drink. At all. For Jatz and cheese and cabanossi.

Mountain Goat, Summer Ale, 4.7 per cent ABV

A modern Australian classic that's clean, textural and aromatic. For balmy nights and the sound of cicadas.

Blackman's Brewery, Unfiltered Lager, 4.6 per cent ABV

Advertisement

Gee whiz, how good is lager? This is one of our best, rooted in Europe and sunkissed in Australia. For slammin' in the shower.

Bentspoke Brewing Co., Barley Griffin Canberra Pale Ale, 4.2 per cent ABV

Yeah, no one else is really sure what a Canberra Pale Ale is either. Will highly pay the capital pun and deliciousness going on here though. For road trips to Cockington Green.

Lord Nelson, Quayle Summer Ale, 4.2 per cent ABV

Praise be, the Lord is canning. This fan favourite in the pub's beer range has been around since 1989 and is legitimately named after the time former American Vice-President Dan Quayle dropped into The Rocks hotel. For drinking on Sydney Harbour.

Advertisement

Batch Brewing Co., American Pale Ale, 5.2 per cent ABV

What's this? Batch is canning too? The Marrickville legends have put their first-ever brew in a tin and they did it just for you. For train rides up and down the coast.

Vale Ale, Australian Pale Ale, 4.5 per cent ABV

A handsome tin houses a classic Aussie pale ale with flavours of passionfruit and peach. For gifting to anyone who still thinks "cans are for bogans".

Fox Hat, Phat Mongrel Oatmeal Stout, 6.5 per cent ABV

Advertisement

Fox Hat is where Vale Brewing lets its wilder side off the leash and this chocolatey stout packs serious punch. For freshly shucked oysters on a cool afternoon.

Little Creatures Dog Days Summer Ale, 4.4 per cent ABV

What was once a seasonal release is now a permanent member of the Little Creatures family. Crisp. Clean. Grassy. Good. For drinking under the sprinkler.

Callan BoysCallan Boys is editor of SMH Good Food Guide, restaurant critic for Good Weekend and Good Food writer.

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement