Since opening last year, House of Brews has made it mark on the Gold Coast by being one of the most memorable places to grab a drink.

It’s got 32 beers on tap, an impressive open-view tap room, perhaps the most creative cocktail list around, and mondo sized food dishes.

After traveling extensively and investigating out what made Americas best bars the best, the Kanaghines brothers put their new found knowledge to the test and opened up House of Brews in Surfers Paradise.
The new restaurant has been fitted in classic American roadhouse fashion, it’s got the dark wood and large bar one would expect from any reputable bbq joint, and enough beers to keep the pickiest of connoisseurs busy for hours. It’s safe to say, they passed the test with flying colours!

We spoke with co-owner Damien, who said the key to their success is keeping everything fun.
From the fun and envelope-pushing cocktails(I’m sure you have all seen the Purple Haze bong drink in the papers), to the quirky menu choices like Russian Roulette Mac and Cheese bites (loser gets the spicy one, depending how you look at it though, I say winner gets the spicy one!), it seems the brothers have found a way to make the most ordinary of dining situations extraordinary.

Inside Gold Coast took a visit to House of Brews last week to get an insiders look at all the exciting things on offer. We tried dish after dish, sampling things like Mexican Margarita wings, Burgers, Mussels, Salmon and Pork Belly and what we found with each dish was the same; the presentation is not what you’ll find anywhere else.

Yes the food tastes good too, but that’s not what keeps this Surfers hotspot filled to the brim. It’s the showmanship. Where else can you get a burger with a foot of onion rings stacked on top, or a slab of ribs bigger than your face? Every plate offered has a WOW factor that keeps people coming back for more. Want to eat your giant plate of ribs with a viking helmet on? You can do that, all you have to do is ask.

What got the most ooo’s and aaaah’s? The cocktails. (even a few photo snaps from neighbouring tables)
Each hand crafted drink looked like something straight out of Willy Wonka’s factory.
Smoking drinks, fairy floss, candy bark, plastic pumpkins, wooden boxes. They are outta this world! (but actually they are all on the cocktail menu so you’ll have to go try them for yourself) I suggest trying the controversial Purple Haze cocktail made with Ink Gin, St Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Cloudy Apple Juice, Grape Juice, Lime Juice, Orgeat Syrup and Rhubarb Bitters and served with frozen grapes and in a bong…It’s addicting!
Nothing says fun like smashing down a big ole plate of ribs then filling your gob with fairy floss and catching a buzz.

The bar is broken up into a few key sections. The downstairs outside patio: good for sipping a beer and people watching. The bar: also good for sipping a beer. The general seating area: in the middle of the action.The upstairs patio: amazing views of the Surfers skyline (word has it upstairs is due for a little makeover soon). So there are plenty of seats and spaces so you can settle in, get cosy and start working through the 32 beers on offer.

Grab the girls, grab the guys and head to Surfers’ most memorable bar, for a night filled with vikings, bongs, onion ring towers and thirty freakin two beers on tap!

Cheers to that!

17 Orchid Avenue, Surfers Paradise

By Marleigh Kelly

How good is an icy cold beer on a balmy afternoon? Heck, or any afternoon for that matter. Especially right here on the Gold Coast, where not only are we blessed with copious amounts of year-round sunshine, but an increasing array of talented breweries and equally impressive spots to take a load off and enjoy their hard work.

Although the possibilities for lavishing yourself with a great beer are endless, here’s our whittled down top 11 spots (listed north to south) to grab a brew on any (post-lockdown) afternoon you please! Cheers to that.

Fortitude Brewing Company
Fortitude Brewing Company is special because they brew under not one but two names. Fortitude for the dependable beers you enjoy with mates and Noisy Minor for the loud beers we all love now and again. Due to brewing excellent beers, it’s Tamborine Mountain’s best spot for a Sunday sesh. Enjoy hot gourmet pizzas and one of their 14 icy-cold beers while you listen to the live band on the patio.
Beer to sip: Fortitude Pacer — the perfect session pale ale.
Where: 165 Long Rd, North Tamborine

BOB’s Beer
The newest beer stop of the bunch is BOB’s Beer. This highly anticipated first microbrewery in Surfers Paradise opened with an impressive range of beers on tap and an incredible menu filled with bites you might not expect. Positioned on a corner block means there’s also plenty of window seating for watching the world go by outside. Talented (former) Melbourne brewer Ryan Fullerton and his team have created inhouse a lager, IPA, XPA and a Saison among six others, all available on tap (plus six guest taps from around Australia and NZ).
Beer to sip: Turmenator, a brut IPA that’s dry, spicy and tropical with hints of fresh tumeric root and saffron.
Where: 10/2 Elkhorn Avenue, Surfers Paradise

House of Brews
The name says it all. House of Brews has a whopping 32 beers on tap! In fact, they have so many kegs, they’ve even got a ‘keg room display’. If you aren’t a beer lover (sacrilege), there’s every chance if you still head to House of Brews, they’ll make a beer lover out of you. The food menu is inspired by traditional American BBQ so grab yourself some sticky ribs and maybe an Onion Ring Volcano tower. You’ll be one ever so happy afternoon beer drinker.
Beer to sip: Huge selection! Try something — left of centre — from North America if you can.
Where: 17 Orchid Avenue, Surfers Paradise

Bine Bar & Dining
The Gold Coast’s first craft beer bar, Bine, is adored by locals and packed to the brim every single weekend (and often throughout the week). Serving over 100 bottled beers and with eight rotating taps, the folks at Bine know their brews. Not to mention there are food specials daily, including regular 50 cent chicken wings specials every weekday evening! Wash those down with a beer or two, and that’s an excellent way to pass some time by anyone’s standard.
Beer to sip: Something local like Currumbin Valley Brewery.
Where: 1/28 Chairlift Avenue, Nobby Beach

Lost Palms Brewing Co.
The baby of the Gold Coast’s brewery bunch, Lost Palms joined us just four years ago, all bright pink and pretty and with a unique selection of very delicious beers on offer. Currently, you’ll find a Hibiscus and Guava sour and American style mango and passionfruit wheat ale. And if you feel like something a little different and looking after the rig, they’ve even knocked up a peach seltzer brewed from grain and coming in at a marginal 80 calories a serving — that’s just a 25-minute stroll on the treadmill, by the way. They also have a small share-style menu and a basketball hoop so you can both feast and play while you sip.
Beer to sip: Lost Palms Hibiscus & Guava Sour — a sour tropical lolly in a glass.
Where: 11 Oak Avenue, Miami

Precinct Brewing
Bursting onto the Miami arts precinct scene with a rapacious welcome, Precinct Brewing has quickly made itself a solid status as a place to grab a freshly made beer, pull up a stool and forget all of life’s woes. They make matters much more bearable with the tastiest of pizzas, stand-up comedy, and some captivating, limited releases like their recent Lime & Chilli Lager and Manuka Smoked Pilsner — yummy!
Beer to sip: Check out their weekly Friday releases for exclusive flavours!
Where: 17 Christine Avenue, Miami

AWOL
If robust and deep flavoured ales get your heart rate rising, you have to try out Black Hops newest foray into brewing beer. Located a hop, skip and jump away from Black Hops HQ, this new — hidden in plain sight — stylish bar will take your tastebuds on an odyssey with imaginative barrel-aged beers. Ex gin, wine, and whisky barrels from worldwide have been sourced to help produce the Gold Coast’s most inventive brews with some serious ABVS to match. Not for the faint of heart, but nevertheless some seriously great drinking to be had.
Beer to sip: AWOL Rebellion Stout — imperial stout aged in used Tasmanian whisky barrels: delish.
Where: 4 Hibiscus Haven, Burleigh Heads

Black Hops Brewing
What do you get when you mix three mates, a passion for beer and a little know-how? Damn good beer. That’s the story behind Black Hops who have three brewery/taproom sites across Burleigh Heads, Biggera Waters and Brisbane. The boys have worked super hard to build a solid reputation for themselves not just here on the Gold Coast but nationally with multiple awards and trade recognitions. Their original easy-going taproom tucked away in Burleigh Heads is the perfect watering hole when the mercury starts to rise.
Beer to sip: Black Hops Send It Session Ale — light, fruity, and not too strong.
Where: 15 Gardenia Grove, Burleigh Heads and 14 665 Pine Ridge Road, Biggera Waters

Burleigh Brewing Co.
One of the unprecedented and best brewers on the Coast, husband and wife team Brennan and Peta Fielding opened Burleigh Brewing Co. to rave reviews, and it’s been onwards and upwards ever since. The brewery is spacious with lots of outdoor seating and always filled with revellers having an absolute time. When they’re not throwing big events, be sure to slip in for an exceptional selection of craft beers, all of which we’re big fans of.
Beer to sip: Burleigh Brewing Burleigh Bighead — No carb, no-fuss big flavoured thirst quencher.
Where: 2 Ern Harley Drive, Burleigh Heads

Balter Brewing Company
When a gang of pro surfers came together and created an award-winning brewery, Australia sat up and paid attention. And although the original owners may have parted ways with their baby, the beer is still on point, and it’s still the perfect spot to enjoy a few brews with the crew. There’s a sweet outdoor area where the kiddies can run about and weekly food trucks with live music in the evenings. Too hard not to love this spot: plenty of tasty frothies to sample.
Beer to sip: Balter XPA — Balter’s most awarded beer can be yours fresh from the production line.
Where: 14 Traders Way, Currumbin Waters

Craft House Bar & Restaurant
Craft House has the Tugun beer-drinking scene covered with 20 Australian craft beers on tap at any given time. When one tap runs dry, they swap it out for a completely different kind, meaning you can go there often and experience something new. And if you feel like trying as many as possible, you must do one of their tasting paddles. Not to mention their food menu is pretty all-time with share plates aplenty, meaning you might nip in for a quick one but end up staying a little longer.
Beer to sip: Lots of choices — try something you’ve never had before.
Where: 445 Golden Four Drive, Tugun

Words by Alex Mitcheson.