It started with a phone call. Andrew Forster was on holiday with his wife in 2022 when his close mate Brenton Fischer rang with a brainwave.
“I won't lie - I'd had a few beers by that stage,” Brenton says with a laugh as he recalls his excitement on the phone.
“I was drinking with a group of friends, the place was pumping, and I thought, ‘This is pretty cool’. I called Andrew without even really thinking and was like, ‘Mate, we should open a brewery! It can't be that hard, can it?’”
Andrew takes up the tale: “Most people would wake up the next day and dismiss it as a crazy idea, but not us. I think we were just coming out of COVID lockdowns so maybe that had impaired our judgment with all the boredom and cabin fever.
“It just kind of started from there.”
A month later, the Northern Sydney locals found themselves setting up a pilot brewery in a small factory while Googling how to make beer. Luckily, they were quick learners.
Just two years later, in January 2024, they took the leap and opened a commercial brewhouse and taproom just down the road, naming the brewery after the nearby bay where they love to sail. Their arrival saw them officially join the Brookvale beer trail alongside Dad & Dave’s, Nomad, Freshwater, Bucketty’s, Freshwater, 4 Pines and 7th Day.
Visiting Broken Bay it’s clear that, despite having little brewing or hospo experience before that fateful phone call, the pair hit the ground running and created something pretty special.
The taproom is bright and inviting, with beach-themed wall murals, a fairy-lit beer garden and a dedicated food truck slinging brisket burgers, fish tacos, bao, burrito bowls and the like. On the weekends, you can also catch live music and DJs – maybe even a petting zoo or mini golf in the carpark.
On the brewing front, they invested in a state-of-the-art Simatec system from Italy, and set about producing a range of beers that blends Aussie tastes with Euro precision, designed to appeal to casual drinkers and craftier connoisseurs alike.
“We really wanted our beers to be accessible, consistent and nuanced,” Brenton says. “A lot of them are quite traditional and made within style guidelines too.”
Andrew adds: “Essentially we want to take the drinker who normally buys Great Northern or 150 Lashes and introduce them to craft beer and the various styles on offer.”
That unpretentious approach is mirrored in their minimalist can design, which features simple maritime motifs (sailing boat, lighthouse, dolphin) on a cream background. At time of writing, that range includes an Aussie lager, German-style Pilsner, Pale, XPA, IPA and Pacific Ale.
“When you go into a bottleshop, so many designs out there can be very busy or psychedelic,” Andrew says. “We just wanted to keep ours clear and simple so you know instantly what it is.”
They're hopeful plenty more people will get a chance to know their cans too.
“We're really happy with how the taproom is going,” he adds. “It’s been a fantastic launchpad for us, but we’ve got fairly significant ambitions for the brand beyond that too.”
Jason Treuen
