Why all the Brouhaha?
Matt Golinski unearths what all the brouhaha is about a craft brewery and restaurant that is the epitome of ‘local’.
When I was 8 years old, I grew a couple of rows of long white radishes, and when they were old enough to harvest, and I realised I didn’t actually like long white radishes, I bundled them up into two neat bunches, and mum and dad drove me to the coop in Maleny where they were put on the shelf and someone (probably my mum and dad) bought them for 80 cents.
I still have the sale docket somewhere.
In those days, Maleny was a small farming town. Mostly dairy with a spattering of hippies, and a few twee little tea houses selling scones and jam, but very much a tight community.
Some 40 years later, you still get that sense of community when you drive into town. Despite it being a busy tourist destination now, it’s clear that locals and businesses are working hard to ensure it retains the social cohesion which makes the village such a special place.
When Brouhaha Brewery was conceived in 2016, the intention was to make more than great craft beer and delicious food to match, they wanted a space where everyone felt comfortable to come and relax. They also wanted to give their customers a truly local experience by carefully choosing and supporting local producers in the region.
Calling the brewery Brouhaha was just asking for trouble.
‘A noisy and unexpected response to something’ is exactly what they got when they first flung open the doors to the public four years ago.
This unassuming shopfront beside a medical centre in the backstreets of Maleny has been drawing hordes of beer enthusiasts, locavores and probably more than a handful of Devonshire Tea refugees ever since they poured their first ale.
Temptingly, 10 shiny taps line the back wall of the bar, and you’re welcome to take a pint from one, or a tasting flight from all 10. Pale ales and IPAS, Saisons and Sours, Lagers and Stouts are all fermenting away in huge vats along the wall to your right, constantly battling to keep those taps flowing.
The scent of Maleny Wagyu Beef and Belvedere Pork on the grill waft from the kitchen from 11am till 5pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, matched with produce from Hum Honey, Little White Goat’s Cheese, Falls Farm and Ten Acres just to name a few.
The chefs take a keen interest in understanding how their ingredients are produced and getting to know the people who produce them.
There are lovely synergies between kitchen, brewery and farmer like the spent grain from the brewing process going to Ken at Maleny Wagyu to feed his cows, and in turn that beef being served on the menu
And in full community spirit, there are tasty options to cover all dietary preferences, including vegan and vegetarian.
A selection of Brouhaha brews are available to take home in cans, in fact they’re popping up in bottle shops all over Australia now in limited amounts. The recently released Hinterland Pale Ale is a relaunch of their popular New Zealand Pale Ale. Still with all the aromas of some punchy NZ hops, but without the confusion about its provenance.
Boutique and independent breweries seem to be popping up everywhere on the coast, and although there would appear to plenty of beer lovers to go around, each one is looking for their point of difference to build a brand that sticks in people’s minds.
Brouhaha’s point of difference is that they truly, genuinely, belong.
