More than a hundred years ago, after migrating to Australia from Ireland, several Breheny brothers began brewing beer across Victoria, including in Warrenheip and Ballarat.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
They began a nation-wide brewing empire, which slowly disintegrated over the decades.
Now, after finding a recipe book from 1920, Breheny Brothers Breweries is back in business.
Their first beer, a Sparkling Bitter, is already rolling out.
This week, James and Justin Breheny - cousins, they point out - visited one of their family's ancestral homes, checking out the remains of the old brewery in Warrenheip and the former site of the Barley Sheaf Brewery.
They said they were surprised at the reception to the beer.
"It's a very uncomplicated beer, a replica of beer from a hundred years ago," James said.
"Even if you look at the recipe, it's just the fundamentals."
Visiting Ballarat was a "thrill", Justin said.
"It's a great feeling for us to see where our ancestors worked, it was about 31 years, from 1891 to about 1922 - knowing our ancestors walked around the buildings that we were," he said.
"Our grandfather worked at the Barley Sheaf, 1895 to 1903, but that's unfortunately now gone, it's a car yard (on Creswick Road).
"Our grandfather learned his trade here, his older brother taught him - this is where he lived."
"It's fine to look at photos and history books, but to stand there where it actually happened, it brings it all to life," James added.
The beer is brewed by Burnley Brewing in Melbourne, using ingredients as close to the original recipe as possible.
IN THE NEWS
The Brehenys are excited at what could come next, with plenty more recipes still in the original books, including stouts.
"They are one of the most influential families in brewing history in Australia, that's real," Justin said.
"It's fascinating, the young ones today do like that extra backstory, and it surprised us in a good way, because it's our backstory."
Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.
