EAT + DRINK
GO ALE OUT AT MERMAID’S NEW BEER GARDEN
Their lager brings all the boys to The Yard Brewhouse.
O
ne can never have too many favourite cafés. Because sometimes we want fancy fare, and other times we want to swan in somewhere low key where the vibes are chill and sunshine and B&E rolls can fuel our souls while we contemplate last night’s choices (or something like that…). Ever since the Mermaid institution that was Alfred’s spread their wings, upgraded to a swanky new apartment, the Southern GC folk have been dreaming of burritos and weeping over the mems of sun-soaked beach shack hangs. Now we can all finally pack away the tissues needed for the silent tear that rolled down our cheeks every time we passed the old Alfred’s stomping ground, because everyone’s favourite beach shack site is back, baby – and dare we say it’s looking better than ever. And spoiler alert, this is one sequel that doesn’t disappoint. In what comes as excellent news for beer lovers, pizza lovers and outdoor lovers (so basically *gestures vaguely* anyone with a pulse), two local brewers have combined forces to bring us a brand new venue to adore, café-come-beer-garden The Yard 44 | insidegoldcoast.com.au
Brewhouse #thebestkindofcollab. Like all the very best ideas, a well-timed party (and no doubt a couple of brewskis) led to a fateful meeting between two GC beer slingers. Brett McCallum of Official Beer Co. and John Green of Surfers Paradise Brewing (you might have spied their unmissable beer bus doing the rounds) already have plenty of experience with keeping local beer connoisseurs hoppy. And with the iconic Mermaid space sitting vacant, the pair agreed that it was just begging to be transformed into a good ol’ fashioned beer garden experience that the Coast has been missing. The boys have done the beach shack proud, staying true to the local surf culture while breathing some much needed life into the space. They’ve really gone the whole nine yards on nailing ‘Aussie casual’, with funky new head to toe murals adorning the exterior walls, right through to pulling up a pew around a hills hoist centrepiece and a backyard cricket pitch bringing nostalgia by the bucket load. Of course, the surfy retro vibes continue inside, with the hallways transformed into a tribute to Reg Mombassa’s finest work – bc was