Lost Palms is a brewery infused with the spirit of your favourite party shirt.
It starts with pink. Lots of pink. You can’t talk about Lost Palms without talking about pink. Pink brewery. Pink logo. Pink beer cans. There’s also a whole lot of pastel green (please don’t ask me if it’s aqua, turquoise, mint or teal) in the brand’s look, but the pink is the vibe that grabs on and doesn’t let go.
This makes a lot of sense for a Gold Coast brand, since pink seems to be the unofficial colour of the Gold Coast, from the neon signs of the nightlife to the sunset sky reflected in the sand. And whether you’ve come from Miami Beach a few blocks to the east, or from the street eats and live music of Miami Marketta a block to the west, Lost Palms is a great place to find yourself at the end of the day. Because in a market where craft breweries are often dominated by a black and steel colour palette, the bright colours of Lost Palms bring the fun even before you’ve taken your first sip.
Step inside the Miami brewery and you’ll find the happy and welcoming colours on the walls mirrored in the faces of the friendly staff. In fact, just about the only thing in the place that isn’t bright is the black subway tile wall behind the bar, and even that has the tap list scribbled on it in pink.
It’s also the location of 11 taps pouring liquid sunshine, six of which rotate through limited releases while the other five showcase the core beers that’ll never run dry: Talle Daze captures the lazy tropical feeling of nearby Tallebudgera Creek; 300 Days of Sunshine is a good pick if you’re driving; and the Hibiscus & Guava Sour will capture the hearts of even the non-beer drinkers in the group.
The kitchen pumps out burger bar fare with options of OG beef, Nashville buttermilk chicken or crispy cauliflower, and sides including mac ’n' cheese balls and loaded fries. Pair them with an XPA or Gold Coast Bitter, grab a dog-friendly picnic table or slide into the studded banquette seating, and fill your belly with food and drink like you’ve stumbled into an oasis after three days in the desert sun. The images of palm trees can only help on this front.
While the eye-catching aesthetic of Lost Palms taps into a pre-existing Gold Coast vibe, that wasn’t enough for the LP crew. After a few years of staying in their own backyard (for the most part), they jumped the fence in 2020 by opening a taproom in Sherwood, thus bringing the Lost Palms party to Brisbane.
Sitting proudly in the main street of Sherwood, this venue is accessible by public transport and accessible in its welcoming hospitality and approachable beers. Out the front, you’re greeted by the words “Beer Happy” in big lettering; inside you’re surrounded by flamingo pink and foliage. But as nice as the interior is, it’s hard to pass up the patio seating on the street. Grab a beer, grab a burger, and make the passers-by jealous for a taste of the GC lifestyle.
The beer itself is obviously at the heart of Lost Palms’ appeal. Maybe the beachy and sessionable core range first caught your attention; maybe it was their Special Listings series, which explores different takes on sours and IPAs with retro real estate photography on the labels; or maybe it was another of their limited releases, where the brewers push their beers in all manner of directions. In early 2022, after setbacks from a global pandemic and QLD/NSW floods, Lost Palms' Miami brewhouse finally received an upgrade and expansion to help the crew pump out even more beer and keep the special releases flowing.
But the beer helps Lost Palms pour themselves out in other ways, too. They talk about "finding the art in craft”: using their can labels to show off the work of graphic designers and their upstairs space in Miami to exhibit local artists. They look for ways to dig deep into their communities, inviting people from the neighbourhood to join their little family, while also spreading their reach further afield by sending their Gold Coast vibes (read: beers) interstate.
Whether you’re chatting with the staff at one of the venues or cracking a can in the sun a long way away, you’ll find that getting lost isn’t always a bad thing.
Mick Wust
The last two photos in the slideshow are from Lost Palms 4075 in Sherwood, which you can visit at 1/671 Sherwood Road, Sherwood. You can also find it in the free Crafty Pint app.
