As I sit here, sipping on one of our latest brews, I can’t help but reflect on my journey that led me to starting 4 Brothers Brewing. Fifteen years in the railway, and eventually ending up as a Train Driver, I knew I wanted a change of pace. Train Driving is all about shift work, it’s late nights, weekends, Public Holidays, missing family events. And back in 2014, I was working away from home at the time, and I remember sitting in my mining camp room thinking ‘I don’t want to be doing this when I’m 65 years old’. I had spent several happy years working behind the bar in country pubs in Queensland and suspected that a move back into hospitality might be just the fix I was looking for.
I always had a great love for beer, and my friends knew that when I was coming over I would likely be bringing some beer that they had never tried before. And most of the time they weren’t fans, it was a different time. At the same time, I had been reading about what was then known as “microbreweries”. I had a little bit of homebrewing experience with my father, and always held on to the dream of one day opening my own brewery.
Then in 2015, after a visit to a newly opened brewery in Ipswich, I set about making that dream a reality. Growing up out in Laidley, you always had the cities of Ipswich to the East and Toowoomba to the West. Ipswich now had a brewery servicing their city, and I was left wondering why people in the city of Toowoomba, with its large region and high visitor numbers, didn’t yet have a brewery to call their own.
That’s when the journey to open 4 Brothers Brewing began. After almost two years of careful planning, we opened the doors of our brewery in April 2017. Coming up with the name was fairly simple, I’ve got three brothers, and I thought that by calling the business 4 Brothers Brewing, it might motivate my brothers to get involved in the company. But that didn’t really eventuate.
Starting 4 Brothers Brewing wasn't just about making beer, it was about creating something that would bring joy and community to the people of Toowoomba. And I believe we've done just that.
I firmly believe that every city and town needs its own brewery. It’s not just about providing delicious beer, although that’s certainly a big part of it. Breweries can become a hub for the local community, a gathering place where people can come together and share a pint, catch up with friends and family, or even meet new people. It’s also about creating jobs and boosting the local economy. By buying local, we can help support the growth of small businesses in our area and make a positive impact on the local community. Local breweries create jobs and help support other local businesses, such as restaurants and bars, by providing them with a unique product to offer their customers. Plus, with the rise of beer tourism, a local brewery can also bring visitors to the area, further boosting the local economy.
As a small business owner, I know that every sale matters. When you buy a beer from 4 Brothers Brewing, you’re not just supporting a small business, you’re also supporting the local community. We source our ingredients and products locally whenever possible, which means that the money you spend at our venue goes right back into the local economy. And because we're a small operation, we're able to be more nimble and experimental with our beer offerings, which means that you're getting a unique and high-quality product that you won't find anywhere else.
For me personally, starting 4 Brothers Brewing was a way to pursue my passion and create a life I love. I get to work with my hands, create something that brings joy to others, and be a part of a community that I'm proud to call home.
If you're reading this, I hope that you'll consider supporting 4 Brothers Brewing and other local businesses in your community. Every purchase you make helps to support real people who are working hard to make their dreams a reality. And who knows, you might just discover your new favourite beer in the process. So next time you're in Toowoomba, I hope you'll stop by 4 Brothers Brewing and see what we're all about. We can't wait to share a beer with you.
Cheers!
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