The wet weather over the weekend couldn’t keep folks inside and away from Brouhaha’s pop-up cafe, which celebrated its opening weekend after its licence was approved just before happy hour on Friday March 10. The Sunshine Coast-based brewery’s New Farm outpost – a project instigated, in part, by the popularity of its Maleny bar, restaurant and pilot-brewing lab amongst Brisbane road trippers – might be temporary, but it’s seemingly already been claimed by locals. The former Nando’s space on the corner of Merthyr Road and Brunswick Street has been given new life as a craft-beer slinging cafe, with the Brouhaha team – lead by co-owners Julian Leigh, Matt Jancauskas, Jeff Bess and Dave Lough – selecting the site for its village-like feel and proximity to an under-serviced pocket of New Farm. As the site is slated for redevelopment at some point this year, the team has opted to give the 120-seat space a simple-but-crisp cosmetic lift, bringing in a six-tap kegerator and a bank of fridges for its beers, as well as installing a coffee machine at a corner-facing coffee window to cater to the commuter crowd.

Brouhaha’s cafe is, first and foremost, an opportunity to show off its range of award-winning beers. Here the team is pumping its core range and kegged seasonals through the taps, from its big and juicy India pale ale and its Czech-style Maleny pilsner to its terrifically tart raspberry saison and its smooth and velvety strawberry rhubarb sour. Tasting flights give guests the chance to sample its four core beers or, if you’re feeling indecisive, a sample of all eight taps (you can swap out a beer for a Willie Smith’s cider, if you fancy). Local spirits are also on show, from Beachtree Organic Quokka gin to Sunshine and Sons original vodka. There’s a tight list of wines too, including an Adelaide Hills shiraz, a Margaret River chardonnay and a King Valley prosecco. In addition to showing off its bang-on beers, the Brouhaha team is eager to give some shine to other Sunshine Coast businesses – particularly across its food menu. A selection of golden-crusted beauties from The Maleny Pie Guy (with flavours like chunky steak, chicken, mushroom and thyme, and a Maleny-inspired number made using black Angus beef, Brouhaha’s milk stout, Maleny Coffee and Maleny Dairies Gold top glaze) are available alongside Moroccan tagine vegan pasties, sausage rolls, and spinach, Kenilworth fetta and macadamia pastries. Salami and margarita pizzas are also on hand for the extra peckish, but those with a sweet tooth will no doubt spy the handmade chocolates from Maleny Chocolate Co., gelato from Maleny Food Co. and yoghurt from Maleny Dairies. In the morning locals can pop in for coffee from Noosaville roasters Clandestino, with Maleny Dairies milk used for flat whites, lattes and cappuccinos (a fridge also stocks milk to buy and take away). Though it’s a pop-up, the Brouhaha team could potentially make its Brisbane presence permanent, if the right opportunity arises. “Because the building is going to get torn down it’s a great tester for us,” says Julian Leigh. “If the love is shown to us then we’ll definitely have a long-term permanent presence here, whether it be in the redeveloped building or somewhere nearby.”

Brouhaha’s New Farm craft-beer cafe is now open to the public Wednesday to Sunday from 6:30 am to 8:00 pm.