It’s more than 100 years since the last new brewery opened in Bendigo, according to Doug Brooke, and decades since the last one closed. But, thanks to him, the city only has to wait another couple of weeks for its next one. Having taken over a former abattoir, the man who has turned his back on a long career in the corporate world is putting the final touches to his launch beers, which should be out and about for the start of July.
It seems remarkable that the city of Bendigo’s size has been without a brewery for so long, but then again, up until a couple of years ago and the birth of Bendigo Beer, the city and immediate surrounding region was a real craft beer desert. Now, where once The Dispensary Enoteca was the only ray of light, there are dozens of venues with craft beer on their menus and a real excitement around the beer scene.
With the Melbourne market already well served by local breweries, it was this renaissance in the regional city that formed part of the reason Doug decided to head north to open Brookes Brewery.
“I’m in my 40s and had worked in the corporate world for 20-plus years,” he says. “When you get to your mid or late 40s and beyond, the corporate world can be a pretty horrible place and I didn’t want to be in my 50s being retrenched or looking for another job. I’ve been homebrewing for years and brewing seemed a pretty good way to go. It’s something I’m interested in and passionate about and craft beer seems to be on a pretty good trajectory.
“Melbourne looked pretty crowded to me and when I was looking for premises it was pretty expensive too – I’d have needed a lot of dough. I got invited by a friend to look at an old place up in Bendigo. It’s a 1950s, rambling, red brick and steel thing and it was love at first sight. It’s a former abattoir and is enormous – it could fit 400 people.
“I got introduced to Trev and Justin [from Bendigo Beer] and saw what was happening locally. Just walking down the street it looked like a thriving country town that was growing. There are a lot of country towns that are stuck in the Gold Rush era and feel like they’re dying, but Bendigo had a good feel – it felt right.
“It remains to be seen how big we can make it, but I’ve been surprised at how good the reaction has been. People have said, ‘It’s local, we love that, just bring it in.’ It’s a real leap of faith.”
For now, the focus is solely on production and almost entirely on the Bendigo market. Doug is determined to conquer his new hometown before looking to go further afield – hence labels inspired by the boxer after whom the city was originally named. And he’s also set on getting the beer just right before letting it out into the world.
“I’ve pushed some beer through the brewery,” he says, “and I’m really happy with the flavour profile but still ironing out some carbonation issues.”
He reckons that will be sorted within days, meaning the public will soon be able to sample the first of his four beers. The core range will be an American Pale Ale (“Strong malt backbone and hop forward”), Lager (“We’re calling it Bohemian, but it’s close to the Vienna style – copper gold with lots of Saaz hops”), an IPA (“Everything an IPA should be – an American Pale Ale on steroids”) and a Brown Ale (“With soft and floral hops – Target and Fuggles – and a malty, chocolatey character”). Once that’s established, more adventurous seasonals will follow.
Aside from the beer, the next stage will be to gain approval to offer samples and sell beer direct from the brewery and then – possibly – to look at converting the former abbatoir into a venue offering meals and a bar. But, given the business comprises “me and me”, according to Doug, with his partner Melissa Church by his side, such things will come when they’re ready.
“It’s been a bit of a journey. The bottling line hadn’t been used in five years and I didn’t know one end from the other [when I first used it],” he says. “I spilt a lot of beer, but I’m just about there now.
“Wherever we go in the future, we can’t do it unless we’re successful in Bendigo. But once we’re confident, we can go and lay siege to Melbourne and beyond!”
With fighting talk like that, no wonder there’s a boxer on the labels.
