None are as iconically Sydney as the gloriously retro Resch's memorabilia adorning pub walls across NSW.

But despite the ubiquitous posters of mid-century rugby players and surfers spruiking Resch's Pilsener and "ever popular Dinner Ale", they have long languished under the shadow of national behemoths like VB and XXXX Gold.

However long-forgotten state-exclusive beers like Resch's, Swan Draught and West End are retaking their pride of place on tap lists thanks to a resurgence in grassroots popularity.

Part of this revival can be attributed to the advocacy of groups like the Resch's Appreciation Society (RAS) - an 8000-strong club of true believers devoted to spreading the good word of Edmund Resch, a German migrant who founded the eponymous brewery in 1897.

For its founding member, known here simply as Matt, the love for Resch's comes down to its heritage as well as its taste.

Knowing his grandfather used to drink the stuff too makes his connection to it extra special.

"I think that is a very similar story to what a lot of people would share about their passion for Resch's," he says.

"That comes from not only a love of what obviously is the best beer that's ever been brewed but it's also the heritage and the nostalgia associated with knowing you're drinking a beer your dad and his dad before him used to drink."

Resch's relative lack of success compared to its competitors has turned to its advantage as consumers seek a more niche, exclusive alternative to the big names.

So says Ian Kingham, a beer judge and industry consultant.

"Those brands have been off market long enough for people to say actually, my granddad used to drink this and I'm gonna drink it," he tells AAP.

"So it's almost like a reverse trend. And that's that retro thing that's coming back."

It's a similar story in other states that have long suffered under the yoke of big brewers pushing "foreign" product made in Victoria and Queensland.

For West Australian beers Swan Draught and Emu Export, and South Australia's West End, regional significance is central to their appeal.

"Provenance is a key part," Mr Kingham explains.

"Swan is a very proud Western Australian brand, Emu is a very proud Western Australian brand, West End is a very proud South Australian brand ... It's my state beer. It's something I can identify with, I can connect to."

Thanks to social media, like-minded enthusiasts are able to bond over a shared passion for their local drop.

In Facebook groups like the West End Draught Beer Appreciation Society of South Australia, members enjoy brews with strangers over the internet and reminisce over rare branded collectables.

The history of the beers and their enduring retro aesthetic, untarnished by branding updates afflicting their national competitors, ensures they maintain a cult following.

"There's some great stories behind a lot of those brands as well," Mr Kingham says.

"It's one thing to produce a new brand with a funky label but Edmund Resch is a real person."

Lion, the Japanese-owned conglomerate that makes Swan, Emu and West End, says its "legacy brands" have experienced strong growth relative to beers such as XXXX and Hahn.

Brand Director Chris Allan says Swan Draught has experienced 31 per cent growth over the past two years, while the rest of the category has been in single digits.

"The beer landscape's become pretty cluttered, pretty confusing," he says.

"I think consumers are looking for stuff that just gives them what they need and does what it says on the tin, so to speak.

"Good value, great quality and actually reflects a really honest representation of what are Australian values."

The comeback of these heritage brews is also partly a reaction to the inaccessibility of the craft beer movement.

Drinkability is back in fashion as punters seek sessionable beers they can enjoy in multiples without frying their tastebuds off.

"I think there's a natural yearning for beer ... that doesn't have all of this kind of marketing waffle where you're not expected to pick up, you know, black currant and Band Aid and pineapple undertones," says Matt from RAS.

"You just want beer that tastes like beer and you can drink a few of them and feel great still."

Despite the group's events regularly attracting hundreds of attendees, the idea of members meeting up in person with internet strangers wasn't immediately apparent.

"It felt like that first tentative step when you're meeting someone that you're online dating ... we're a bit uncomfortable, right," Matt says.

"But then I realised it was such an incredible opportunity for people of all ages to get together and just be happy and distracted from whatever their stresses are.

"I knew it started something that was sunny and gaining in popularity but I didn't realise how profoundly good the society was, that we were actually doing something good in the community, not just promoting a beer.

"There are blokes that some of their best friends they met through our society."

Capitalising on that positive energy, RAS has raised funds for charities like Beyond Blue and is creating a Resch's passport initiative encouraging members to travel to struggling country pubs.

The group has also advocated for CUB, Resch's brewer, to bring back discontinued lines such as Resch's "silver bullet" cans and the famous Dinner Ale, which, as the boast went, could be paired with any meal.

At first, Matt thought the tagline absurd.

"The beer that pairs with every kind of food - I mean, how ridiculous. But then you try the stuff and you realise it's a revelation, it's an explosion of flavour going off in your mouth and there's nothing quite like it."

November will see the culmination of their work - the opening of Resch House, a Resch's-themed venue in Sydney's CBD run by the descendants of Edmund Resch himself.

But there's still one more dream they hope to achieve.

"I think when we see Resch's back on the State of Origin jersey," Matt says, "we'll know that the beer has come back to its rightful place as the number one beer in the state."

Australian Associated Press