4 Pines … so much more than a microbrewery

This well-established microbrewery is all about good beer,good food and genuine, down-to-earth hospitality. Since opening its doors in2008, 4 Pines Brewery has grown from a small microbrewery designed to produce around 30 kegs to abrew pub, restaurant and truckbar, with two more venues slated to open withinthe next six months. The man behind it all is Jaron Mitchell, a Sydneytransplant from a small town called Yallingup, north of Margaret River inWestern Australia.  

Inspired by Yallingup’s local artisans, Jaron is shaping 4 Pinesinto a series of establishments that have a real sense of community and decentbeer to boot.   

“I grew up in an area that time kind of forgot, the rest ofthe world was celebrating everything becoming homogenised while we were caughtin a time-capsule. People use to laugh about our weird part of the world wherethere was still no McDonalds,” says Jaron.

Leaving his hometown, Jaron’s first port of call was Manly,along Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Drawn to the laidback culture and surfie vibe,it was an easy place for him to slip into. A few years in, Jaron’s dad came fora visit – the boys were eating handmade pies after a surf when they realisedthere wasn’t anywhere to go for a decent pint of beer. Enter, 4 Pines Brewery.

Overlooking Manly Cove, 4 Pines mastered the art offermenting beer and hospitality under one roof. A local hangout and adestination within itself, this was merely the beginning.     

“We not only wanted a decent beer but a decent place todrink that beer. Where you feel like you are part of the community, and the bartender actually gives a toss about the person across the other side of thebar,” says Jaron.

4 Pines expanded into neighbouring Brookvale – not only toincrease their brewing and bottling capabilities, but to also open theTruckbar, an old 1960 dodge that has been reconstructed into a bar with 21beers on tap. More recently, 4 Pines transformed the space beneath the Brew Pubon East Esplanade, Manly, into 4 Pines Underground, a restaurant that pairsbeer with every meal of the day.

“Traditionally people would have a beer with every mealbecause it was safer to drink then water,” says Jaron. “At Underground Manly,we will match a beer with every meal, including breakfast – you should try it,it’s amazing!”

With beer remaining the core focus of their business, 4 Pinesis set to open Newport Public House in December. But come April 2017, 4 Pineswill be launching Beer and Bread – a concept that stems back to Jaron’s days inYallingup, where he and his family bought woodfired bread from a German bakerwho utilised techniques that are almost extinct in Germany.

“We are going to build a woodfired oven in Belrose and introducepeople to a completely different way of making bread,” says Jaron. “Bread andbeer has this warmth; they have run parallel throughout history.”

Whether you want to grab a pint, some good pub grub or takea tour of their facilities, 4 Pines well and truly have you covered.

4 Pines BrookvaleBrewery Truckbar 4G, 9 – 13 Winbourne Road, Brookvale

4 Pines ManlyUnderground 43 – 45 E. Esplanade, Manly

4 Pines Public House313Barranjoey Road, Newport (Opening December 8)

4 Pines Belrose Glen Street Theatre,Belrose (Opening April 2017)

Visit the website here