Opening a microbrewery in the midst of COVID-19

The Joint Chemical Engineering Committee (JCEC) NSW welcomes you to their first event for 2021.

Bracket Brewing is a small family owned brewery run by father and son duo, Mark and Mike. The brewery has forgone the typical core range of beers and instead focuses on small batches of one-off’s with the goal that each time you visit the taproom there will be something new to try.

After four years of planning, Bracket Brewing opened their doors in August 2020. In early 2020, Mark and Mike had to make some tough decisions, including almost throwing in the towel as COVID-19 lead to significant cost increases and supply chain challenges before they had even opened. The talk will cover the economics of a nanobrewery, and the challenges to open and operate the brewery in 2020.

Paid tickets are for in-person attendance and include a delicious craft beer on arrival.

About the brewers

Mike studied Molecular Biology & Genetics at university. In his last year after taking a number of food tech electives he found a passion for all things fermented. That rabbit hole ultimately lead to the opening of Bracket Brewing. He has worked at a number of breweries and distilleries in Australia and the UK and studied a Masters in Brewing & Distilling through Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh.

Mark, up until recently, was a Senior Check Captain on the Boeing 747, flying long haul international routes. As a parallel career he studied to become a Lawyer being admitted in 2014. With the onset of the pandemic he was stood down as a pilot and eventually made redundant. This allowed him to focus on his career as a Lawyer as well as setting up the brewery.

Time

18:30 start (arrive at the venue from 18:00).

This event will also be available to view online:

• 18:00 AEDT
• 15:00 AWST/MYT
• 20:00 NZST

Online guests will be sent a link to view the event after registering.