Canada House on the Gold Coast: 32 beers on tap and almost as many Canuck servers

GOLD COAST, Australia — Canada usually lives large when it comes to its home-away-from-home at the Olympic Games.

In 2012, Canada House — part of the Canadian High Commission in London — was designated Canada Olympic House, a place where Olympians could meet with family and friends in iconic Trafalgar Square. Thanks to sponsors, beer flowed and family members could get a free hair and makeup touch-up

Two years later, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to Sochi’s Canada House where Quebec’s Roch Voisine served up the music. The Arkells rocked Canada House in Pyeongchang.

Dealing with a far more modest entertainment budget at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Canadian team officials went a different route. They found an existing bar with plenty of Canadian content.

House of Brews Taphouse & Dining in Surfers Paradise has been designated as Canada House during these games.

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Opened in 2015, it promises rock, brews and BBQ. There are 32 craft beers on tap, with a good chance that a Canuck will deliver your cold one of choice to you. Venue manager Jess Legault reckons that 15 of the 40 staff are Canadian, with the number growing during the Canadian winter.

The 28-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., came to Australia to escape a Canadian winter. The plan was to spend three months on the Gold Coast, three in Sydney and three in Melbourne. Three years later she is still on the Gold Coast at the House of Brews.

The bar-restaurant is owned by Australian brothers Sacha, Damien and Ben Kanaghines, who have all spent time in North America with Sacha taking a particular liking to Whistler, B.C.

“That’s when he fell in love with our type of hospitality,” said Legault, who worked at a Vancouver restaurant that was turned into Russia House during the 2010 Olympics. 

The bar is doing its bit to get in the mood. The drinks menu offers Caesars and there is poutine when available — a French-Canadian who lives nearby makes the cheese curds.

A cherry-maple beer, developed by a local brewer especially for the games, is slated to be delivered Wednesday. Don Cherry-eh is one of the names being bandied around.

The beers come big. In addition to a 370-millilitre mug and one-litre stein, they come in so-called 2.5-litre towers (4.4 pints) — with a price tag to match. For example, the jumbo-sized Lookout DIPA (double pale ale) jug will set you back C$78.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press