4 Pines Brewing Company
4 Pines Brewing Company is an Australian craft brewery and hospitality business founded in Manly and associated with approachable beers, coastal pub culture and the Brookvale Union ready-to-drink range.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
4 Pines Brewing Company is an Australian craft brewery and hospitality business based in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. It was established in 2008 by Jaron Mitchell and Shawn Sherlock as a small 5-hectolitre brewpub in Manly, New South Wales. The business developed around the combination of locally brewed beer, a community pub environment and the lifestyle associated with Manly and the wider Northern Beaches. Its name refers to the removal of four pine trees during the Second World War to make space for a machine gun installation, rather than simply describing a current group of trees. The company expanded beyond its original brewpub in 2011, opening a production facility in Brookvale with a 50-hectolitre brewhouse, bottling capability and an attached bar. This gave 4 Pines the capacity to supply packaged and draught beer through wholesale channels while retaining a hospitality presence. Its beer portfolio has covered a broad set of styles, including American-style pale ale, amber ale, Pacific ale, German-style golden ale, Japanese-style lager, hazy pale ale and dry Irish stout. The range has generally combined craft brewing credentials with relatively accessible, sessionable or food-friendly formats. The portfolio has also included Ultra Low, an ultra-low-alcohol beer, reflecting the company’s participation in the wider moderation and alcohol-alternative segment. 4 Pines also operates as a hospitality brand. Public reference material describes a network of permanent 4 Pines-branded bars across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, together with temporary venues at major sporting and entertainment locations. This pub and bar activity is an important part of the company’s identity: 4 Pines is not only a packaged beer label but also a venue operator and consumer-facing hospitality business. Ownership changed materially in 2017, when 4 Pines was purchased by AB InBev through its venture-capital arm, ZX Ventures. The acquisition enabled access to the brewing and distribution infrastructure of Carlton & United Breweries, which AB InBev had acquired in 2016. In 2019, Carlton & United Breweries confirmed that 4 Pines would be included in its sale to Asahi Breweries. Following that transaction, 4 Pines became part of the Asahi Beverages portfolio while continuing to present itself as a distinct Australian craft-beer business. Beyond beer, the company releases ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages under the Brookvale Union brand. These products include ginger beer, flavoured alcoholic drinks and boozy seltzer variants. The broader portfolio allows 4 Pines to participate in both traditional craft beer and the growing Australian ready-to-drink category. Publicly available sources provide limited reliable information on revenue, production volume, employee numbers and detailed post-acquisition governance, so those figures are not stated here.
History
4 Pines Brewing Company was founded in 2008 by Jaron Mitchell and Shawn Sherlock in Manly, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. The business began as a 5-hectolitre brewpub, linking small-scale brewing with a hospitality venue. Its original identity was closely connected with the local community and the coastal pub culture of Manly. The name refers to four pine trees that were removed during the Second World War to permit the installation of a machine gun. In 2011, 4 Pines expanded its production infrastructure by opening a facility in Brookvale. The site included a 50-hectolitre brewhouse, a bottling line and a bar. This transition allowed the company to serve both on-premise customers and wholesale markets, while maintaining a direct relationship with consumers through its venues. The expanded brewery supported a wider portfolio of beers, including pale ales, lagers, amber ales, Pacific ales, golden ale and stout. The company’s operating model subsequently combined wholesale brewing with hospitality. By August 2020, public reference material described ten permanent 4 Pines-branded bars across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, as well as pop-up bars at Docklands Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground. These venues helped reinforce the brand’s association with social drinking, sport and Australian coastal lifestyle. 4 Pines also participated in brewing innovation. In 2010, it worked with space-engineering firm Saber Astronautics Australia on the development of what was described as the first space-certified beer. The project contributed to the brand’s experimental and promotional profile beyond conventional beer production. Ownership changed in 2017, when AB InBev acquired 4 Pines through ZX Ventures. The transaction connected the brewery with the infrastructure of Carlton & United Breweries, which AB InBev had acquired in 2016. In 2019, Carlton & United Breweries confirmed that 4 Pines would be included in its sale to Asahi Breweries. The brand therefore moved into the Asahi Beverages portfolio while retaining a separate craft-brewery identity. In addition to its beer range, 4 Pines releases ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages under the Brookvale Union name. The range includes ginger beer, flavoured vodka-based drinks and boozy seltzers. Current product information also identifies alcohol-reduced and alcohol-free-adjacent opportunities such as Ultra Low beer. Public sources do not establish detailed revenue, volume, workforce or current executive information, so those matters remain unspecified.
- 2022
Best for the World recognition
[1]Beer & Brewer named 4 Pines a Best for the World recipient for the fourth time, according to the cited reference material.
- 2019
Transferred with Carlton & United Breweries to Asahi
[1]4 Pines was included in the announced sale of Carlton & United Breweries to Asahi Breweries.
- 2017
Acquired by AB InBev
[1]AB InBev purchased 4 Pines through its venture-capital arm, ZX Ventures.
- 2015
Australian International Beer Awards recognition
[1]4 Pines won the GrainCorp Trophy for Champion Large Australian Brewery.
- 2014
Craft Beer Industry Awards recognition
[1]4 Pines and Two Birds Brewing jointly won the inaugural Bintani Champion Large Brewery Award; 4 Pines also won Champion Pale Ale for its ESB.
- 2011
Brookvale brewery opened
[1]A 50-hectolitre brewhouse, bottling line and bar opened in Brookvale, expanding production capacity and distribution capability.
- 2010
Space-certified beer project
[1]4 Pines worked with Saber Astronautics Australia on the development of a beer intended for space-related use.
- 2008
4 Pines founded in Manly
[1]Jaron Mitchell and Shawn Sherlock established 4 Pines as a 5-hectolitre brewpub in Manly, New South Wales.
Products and positioning
An Australian craft brewery and hospitality brand combining approachable, style-diverse beers with Northern Beaches identity, pub culture and selected ready-to-drink products.
Lager
Japanese Style Lager
A modern dry lager brewed with rice, positioned as a crisp and clean member of the core range.
Pale ale
Hazy Pale Ale
A juicy, tropical hazy pale ale that extends the brand’s range into contemporary hop-forward beer styles.
Pale ale
Pale Ale
An American-style pale ale and one of the brewery’s best-known offerings, combining craft positioning with a broadly approachable profile.
Amber ale
Amber Ale
An American-style amber ale offering a maltier and deeper alternative to the lighter pale ale products.
Pale ale
New World Pale Ale
A modern pale ale built around fruit-forward hop character and a contemporary interpretation of the style.
Pale ale
Pacific Ale
A mid-strength pale ale designed for refreshing, sessionable drinking and associated with the brewery’s Australian coastal identity.
Stout
Nitro Stout
A dry Irish stout infused with nitrogen, providing a contrasting dark and smooth option within the core portfolio.
Golden ale
Draught
A German-style golden ale intended for draught service and hospitality occasions.
Ultra-low-alcohol beer
Ultra Low
An ultra-low-alcohol beer positioned around refreshment and moderation, with alcohol content below 0.5 percent by volume according to the reference material.
Ready-to-drink alcoholic beverage
Brookvale Union Ginger Beer
A ready-to-drink alcoholic ginger beer released under the Brookvale Union brand.
Ready-to-drink alcoholic beverage
Brookvale Union Spiced Rum Ginger Beer with Lime
A flavoured ready-to-drink beverage combining ginger beer, spiced rum character and lime.
Ready-to-drink alcoholic beverage
Brookvale Union Vodka and Peach Iced Tea
A vodka-based peach iced tea product within the Brookvale Union ready-to-drink range.
Ready-to-drink alcoholic beverage
Brookvale Union Vodka Lemon Lime and Bitters
A vodka-based ready-to-drink beverage flavoured with lemon, lime and bitters.
Hard seltzer
Brookvale Union Boozy Seltzer
A ready-to-drink seltzer line available in flavours including grapefruit and lime with orange bitters.
Marketing campaigns
- 2010Space-certified beer development
Australia
4 Pines partnered with Saber Astronautics Australia on an experimental project to develop beer suitable for space-related conditions.
Outcome. The project was publicly noted as an innovation achievement, but the available reference does not establish commercial deployment or spaceflight.
Brand decisions
2019
Transfer to Asahi with Carlton & United BreweriesM&ABackground
Asahi agreed to acquire Carlton & United Breweries from AB InBev, with 4 Pines included in the transaction perimeter.
Action taken
Carlton & United Breweries confirmed that 4 Pines would be sold as part of the broader transaction.
Aftermath
4 Pines became part of the Asahi Beverages portfolio while continuing to operate under its own brand identity.
2017
Acceptance of AB InBev acquisitionM&ABackground
4 Pines had expanded from a Manly brewpub into a brewery, wholesale supplier and hospitality business. AB InBev pursued the acquisition through ZX Ventures.
Action taken
AB InBev purchased 4 Pines through ZX Ventures and connected the business with Carlton & United Breweries’ production and distribution network.
Aftermath
4 Pines remained identified as a separate craft-oriented brand within the larger brewing portfolio.
Sources2 sources
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