It's been a while between drinks, but, after a longer-than-planned hiatus – albeit with a few public events held in locations as far apart as Busselton, Bendigo and Brisbane, we're bringing our blind tasting panels back.

First up, we'll be tackling a part of the beer market that's less a style, more a vibe. Or, to be more exact: a price point.

Even before the current cost-of-living crisis hove into view, there were a number of craft breweries putting out budget-busting beers, or fridge fillers, such as the Rover range from Hawkers. The first few months of the COVID pandemic saw a few more come (and in some cases go once it became apparent many people stuck at home had enough in the coffers to treat themselves to rather fancier cans), and in 2023 the number has continued to grow.

In some (sub-$60) cases, the beers are released under a different brand name; in others, it's more the RRP – and often ABV – that differentiates them from the rest of a brewer's lineup.

We've already compiled a pretty extensive list of beers we'll attempt to gather for the tasting, at which we'll bring together a range of beer experts from different parts of the industry – brewers, writers, reps etc – but there's a good chance there's a few out there we've missed. And that's where where you, brewers and drinkers, come in.

If you know of a beer that meets the criteria below, feel free to let us know via the form and we'll endeavour to include it in the tasting. Cheers!

Criteria For The Fridge Filler Tasting

To be considered for the panel tasting, the beers must:

measure a minimum of 4.0 percent ABV – no mid-strength or light beers
be produced by an independent Australian brewery or one of the craft brands owned by Lion/Kirin, CUB/Asahi, or Coca Cola Europacific Partners. No supermarket brands, eg Tinnies or the wide range produced by Pinnacle Drinks for Dan Murphy's and BWS, will be included
retail for $60 or less for a case of 24 (which equates to $45 for a cube of 16)

Please note we will only include one beer from any brewery, even where they have multiple beers that meet the above criteria. Closing date for submissions is July 19 to give us time to source the beers ahead of the tasting.