Since opening a few years ago, Gosford RSL’s Oak Haven Brewery has gone from strength to strength and has now taken out a bronze award at the Australian International Beer Awards, held recently in Melbourne.
Club CEO, Russell Cooper, said taking a bronze at the biggest beer competition in the world was a major achievement.
“It is only the second time we’ve entered, so we’re extremely pleased,” he said.
“Our brewery has been picking up a lot of steam over the past year and a half – a couple of months ago we took two silvers and a bronze at the Brisbane Royal Show.”
Operating temporarily in the converted kitchen of the Ashwood Motel across the road from the club, the brewery will be relocated into the club itself once its major $45M revamp has been completed.
“My idea when setting up the brewery was to provide good drinking beers for our members,” Cooper said.
“A lot of breweries have big, unique flavour profile but I wanted to start with easy drinking beers, which are fresher and cheaper than others.
“Because we brew on our own premises we can afford to do it a little cheaper.”
The brewery has four beers in its core range, sold only at Gosford RSL, but it was the Bolthole dark ale that took the gong.
Exclusively brewed with five Australian malts, Bolthole Dark Ale features a depth of malt flavour and complexity with roasted notes of cocoa and coffee.
“We try to link a lot of our beer names back to history of club,” Cooper said.
“The Bolthole relates to the first premises the RSL had, when ex-servicemen would meet in an underground cellar.
“Selling beer on the premises was not allowed, so members would buy tokens and hand them over for the beer at the Bolthole.”
The Oak Haven Brewery was named after the house which originally sat on the present RSL Club site, owned by George and Agnes Fagan.
News of the win came as the club celebrated a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction on the upgrade.
The ceremony, on May 27, was attended by the Club’s Board of Directors and leadership team; senior management from WMK Architecture and North Construction & Building; and a number of consultants involved on the project.
Scheduled for completion in 2023, the much anticipated three-storey building will be a stand-out venue for the region.
“For many years now, we have had a vision to create not just a new club, but a landmark building at the gateway to Gosford and the Central Coast, that our community can be proud of,” Cooper said.
The new facility, designed by WMK Architecture, features a port cochere entry, RSL museum, glass-enclosed spiral staircase leading up to multiple entertaining and dining spaces including an expansive outdoor terrace which will be overlooked by the relocated brewery.
Terry Collins
