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Hawke's Lager

Hawke's Brewing Co.
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🌍 Australia · Australian Lager · One of 40 Australian Lagers in hopIQ

Hawke's Lager was the company's first beer and remains its flagship, an Australian-style lager brewed in Marrickville from local barley and wheat. It pours pale gold with a light, crisp body. The nose shows a subtle citrus note over clean cracker and grainy pale malt, while the wheat lends a soft, faintly bready texture. Bitterness stays light, and the beer closes with a gentle dry finish and a faint edge of lemon zest.

ABV
4.2%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter18 IBU
Citrus hop bitterness
SRM
pale gold4

AWARDS

Trophy · 2018
Australian International Beer Awards
Best Australian Lager
Gold · 2024
The Indies
Silver · 2024
Australian International Beer Awards
Silver · 2023
Australian International Beer Awards
Silver · 2023
The Indies
Silver · 2022
The Indies
Silver · 2018
The Indies
Trophy — Australian International Beer Awards (Best Australian Lager)
Gold — The Indies
Silver — Australian International Beer Awards
How it drinks· Its pace, balance and relationship to the style.
Pace
sessionsipper
Balance
malt-ledhop-led
Where this beer sits· Four axes, the same for every beer in hopIQ.
Body
Lean body.
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
Dry finish.
drysweet
Bitterness
Soft bitterness.
mildbitter
Texture
Crisp mouthfeel.
crispcreamy

Crisp and light-bodied.

A trim frame with a clean finish — the beer arrives, pleases, and makes room for another.

Character· What makes this beer itself — not just another Australian Lager.
Hop character
citrusy
orange
Malt character
wheat
bready
malty
Fermentation & yeast
clean

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Hawke's Lager

Appearance

Hawke's pours a pale gold with excellent clarity and bright luminosity. A modest white head forms and recedes gradually, leaving intermittent lacing on the glass. Fine carbonation provides a steady, refined effervescence.

pale goldbright, clearlight headfine bubbles

Aroma

The nose leads with clean cracker and pale grain, underpinned by soft wheat character. Subtle citrus notes emerge on closer inspection—a whisper of lemon and a touch of orange zest—over a foundation of grainy, honest pale malt. The overall impression is restrained and inviting rather than assertive.

cracker, grainwheat, softcitrus, lemon zest

Taste

On the palate, crisp and light are the dominant sensations, with wheat lending a faintly bready, almost delicate sweetness in the mid-palate. Bitterness remains gentle and well-proportioned, allowing clean malt and grain to carry the body. The interplay is dry and refreshing, with no harshness or excessive edge.

crisp, cleanwheat, breadylight bodygentle bitterness

Finish

The finish is quick and dry, with a faint lemon zest edge that lingers briefly without overstaying. No astringency or residual sweetness remains—just a fleeting, pleasant citrus whisper.

dry, quicklemon zest
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
76
Taste
78
Appearance
82
Finish
75
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Hawke's Lager

Serve at 4–7°C
Refrigerate, then rest 2 min

Serve at 4–7°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Stein
Recommended for this style

The sturdy German stein maintains temperature and keeps carbonation intact. Built for long, convivial drinking.

Store in a cool, dark place. Check the best-before date on the label for guidance.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Hawke's Lager

About Australian Lager

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Australian Lager?

Australian Lager is a distinctive beer style with its own characteristic flavour, aroma and colour. Discover what makes it unique and find similar beers on hopIQ.

Finding a similar Australian Lager

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same crisp, wheat, light character as Hawke's Lager will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Other Australian Lagers in hopIQ

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