4 Pines Brewing Company
Australian craft brewery with a space-certified beer and a growing hospitality network.
4 Pines Brewing Company is a craft brewery and hospitality group from Sydney’s Northern Beaches. It started in 2008 as a small brewpub in Manly, then expanded in 2011 to a larger brewery in Brookvale with a 50-hectolitre brewhouse, bottling line, and bar. The company’s name comes from four pine trees that were cut down during World War II to make room for a machine gun.
In 2017, AB InBev’s venture arm, ZX Ventures, bought 4 Pines, giving it access to the brewing and distribution network of Carlton & United Breweries (CUB), which AB InBev had acquired the year before. In 2019, CUB confirmed that 4 Pines would be part of its sale to Asahi Breweries.
Beyond brewing, 4 Pines runs a sizable hospitality side. By August 2020, it had ten permanent branded bars across New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, plus pop-up bars at Docklands Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The company also sells ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages under the Brookvale Union label.
Notable achievements include a 2010 partnership with space engineering firm Saber Astronautics Australia to develop the first space-certified beer. At the inaugural Craft Beer Industry Awards in 2014, 4 Pines and Two Birds Brewing jointly won the Bintani Champion Large Brewery Award, and 4 Pines took the Champion Pale Ale award for its ESB. In 2015, it won the GrainCorp Trophy for Champion Large Australian Brewery at the Australian International Beer Awards. It also received Beer & Brewer’s “Best for the World” award four times, including in 2022.
Core range beers include: Japanese Style Lager (4.5% ABV), Hazy Pale Ale (6.0% ABV), Pale Ale (5.1% ABV), Amber Ale (5.1% ABV), New World Pale Ale (4.2% ABV), Pacific Ale (3.5% ABV), Nitro Stout (5.1% ABV), Draught (4.6% ABV), and Ultra Low (<0.5% ABV). Brookvale Union products are Ginger Beer (4.0% ABV), Spiced Rum Ginger Beer with lime (4.0% ABV), Vodka and Peach Iced Tea (4.0% ABV), Vodka Lemon Lime and Bitters (4.0% ABV), and Boozy Seltzer in Grapefruit and Lime and Orange Bitters (4.0% ABV).
Quick Facts
- Hq Location
- Unit 3B, 9-13 Winbourne Road, Brookvale, New South Wales
- Owner
- Asahi Breweries
- Industry
- Alcoholic beverage
- Products
- Beer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
4 Pines Brewing Company began as a small brewpub in Manly in 2008, expanding three years later to a larger brewing facility in Brookvale. The company's unusual name commemorates the wartime removal of four pine trees to mount a machine gun during the Second World War. In 2017, the brewery was purchased by AB InBev through its venture capital arm, ZX Ventures, which allowed it to use the brewing and distribution network of Carlton & United Breweries (CUB). In 2019, CUB confirmed that 4 Pines would be included in the sale of CUB to Asahi Breweries. Beyond brewing, the company operates a significant hospitality business; as of August 2020 there were ten permanent 4 Pines branded bars across New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland, along with pop-up bars at Docklands Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground. The company also releases ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages under its Brookvale Union brand, including ginger beer, spiced rum ginger beer, vodka and peach iced tea, vodka lemon lime and bitters, and boozy seltzers.
Reader's Guide
4 Pines Brewing Company is notable for its early innovation and industry recognition. In 2010, it partnered with space engineering firm Saber Astronautics Australia to develop the first space-certified beer. At the inaugural Craft Beer Industry Awards in 2014, 4 Pines and Two Birds Brewing were named joint winners of the Bintani Champion Large Brewery Award, and 4 Pines also won the Champion Pale Ale award for its ESB. In 2015, it won the GrainCorp Trophy for Champion Large Australian Brewery at the Australian International Beer Awards. The company received the Best for the World award from Beer & Brewer four times, including in 2022. Its core range includes nine beers, from a Japanese Style Lager and a Hazy Pale Ale to a Nitro Stout and an Ultra Low alcohol beer. The acquisition by AB InBev and subsequent inclusion in the sale to Asahi Breweries placed 4 Pines within a global brewing network while it continued to operate its own branded bars and develop the Brookvale Union line of ready-to-drink products.
Did You Know?
- The company's name refers to the removal of four pine trees to install a machine gun during the Second World War.
- In 2010, 4 Pines partnered with Saber Astronautics Australia to develop the first space-certified beer.
- 4 Pines won the GrainCorp Trophy for Champion Large Australian Brewery at the 2015 Australian International Beer Awards.
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