Head Brewer at Freshwater Brewing Company, Brett Phillips, shares his story of finding his passion for beer while travelling the world and how that remains a source of inspiration in his work today.
Phillips grew up in Griffith, at the centre of the New South Wales Riverina wine region.
After school, he spent time working in a winery cellar, gaining knowledge which he later realised would help him in his career.
“I wish I paid more attention to wine making. I was more concerned with earning some cash quickly. But unknowingly, growing up in an agricultural area gave me an appreciation for random things like irrigation pumps. It was all stuff I learned but didn’t realise I was picking up at the time. It really gave me confidence to kind of jump straight into brewing and not feel overwhelmed by it all.”
First trying his hand at construction management, Phillips studied at the University of Newcastle while also working part-time in the construction industry.
After finishing his studies, Phillips and his partner did what many young people in their early twenties do and backpacked around Europe.
“I developed an appreciation for different beer cultures. I fell in love with all the diverse beer styles that are available to you over there that we don’t really get here in Australia. Now it’s a bit different but especially when I was growing up, I didn’t get that here.”
Brett Philips
German beer culture was a particular favourite of Phillips.
“The traditions around the way they drink beer, the way they celebrate with beer and their beer gardens – it’s just something else.”
After returning home from travelling, Phillips said he was at a crossroads but decided to take a chance on his newfound passion, Phillips travelled from the south coast of New South Wales to Adelaide for a six-week TAFE course in brewing.
“I took a little trip over, studied away and immersed myself in all things beer. It was quick, and I was able to get a feel for it to see if I really wanted to do it. But also, I wanted to know if there would actually be employment opportunities soon after I finished studying.”
Luckily, as his course was ending the annual Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival was getting started and Phillips had the opportunity to get in front of some of the best in the business.
“I was at that festival pouring the beer that we brewed during the course and going around chatting to heaps of brewers. I was harassing the brewer of Modus Operandi, Dennis de Boer, offering to help in any way I could. Eventually he gave in and said if I got back to Sydney in a few weeks I might have a shot. I think he assumed that I would forget, but a week later I was at his door.”
Journey to Freshwater
Phillips spent two years working at Modus Operandi where he soaked up a range of new skills while also building great relationships – including his friendship with Jonny Bucknall, founder of Freshwater Brewing Co.
“He was the head of marketing at Modus at the time and we both had a love for all things beer, we aligned on a lot of beer styles and just shared a real passion for the industry.”
Motivated by the desire to step out of his comfort zone, Phillips left Modus and joined the team at Wayward Brewing Company in Sydney’s inner west where he worked for around three years experimenting with unique flavours and brewing techniques.
But in 2022, Bucknall and Phillips reconnected.
“I saw that Jonny had launched Freshwater and when I saw the brand and the beer that he wanted to brew, I fell in love with it. He reached out looking for a brewer while they were still a contract brand searching for an actual brewery and venue.”
Coming out of the worst of COVID-19, there was plenty of uncertainty, but the business brewed away in the background and once it found a home, Phillips joined the team.
“It was exciting because I got to see everything from the beginning. From taking over an old warehouse, to installing and commissioning the brewery, to the fit out of a new venue. But with that I saw all the challenges that arise, some expected, some unexpected. It was also awesome doing it with a great friend. We’re three years in now and I’m still learning so much and having a blast.”
Phillips told Beer & Brewer that seeing Freshwater become what it is today has been some of the proudest moments of his career.
“Being able to have a say on the direction of beers, which beer styles, everything down to service and customer experiences is really satisfying. And then seeing that come to fruition is a proud moment. I do have these moments where I kind of pinch myself and go, how awesome is this?”
Celebration as inspiration
Phillips is also very proud of the beers he brews. When creating new products, he draws inspiration from a variety of places and ingredients but at the forefront is the idea of creating the right beer for the right occasion.
“I’m inspired by celebrating different milestones in life and how you can use beer to do that. I brew beer that is going to suit a certain occasion. That’s how I picture it as I’m brewing, I think at the end of it, where would I be drinking this? Why would I be drinking this? I love for example brewing a dark beer for sitting around the campfire or sitting around the fireplace at home on a cold, rainy night,” he said.
“I also love trying new ingredients that are out there. Like all these amazing hop varieties that are constantly being released. It’s so much fun experimenting with those and seeing what new flavours I can coax out of them.”
Phillips’ travels remains a key source of inspiration as he has observed a trend in the popularity of European beer styles.
“Germany still inspires the beers I make today or how I’m going to make them. I often try and honour those traditional processes or use those ingredients in the best way that I can. At the moment we’re noticing a move to more traditional style beers and processes that focus on quality ingredients. So, for us we’re balancing traditional styles, like German pilsners, Czech pilsners and creating a contemporary version for the modern customer and what they expect from their beer.”
He said Freshwater is also all about focusing on a good refreshing beer.
“There’s plenty to talk about over beers and types, but you can also just simply enjoy them and carry on without it being too complex.”
Looking ahead
Phillips said his goals in brewing are always changing but there are some that remain constant.
“I want to keep on trying to make the best beer I can and sharing freshwater with people. I also want to reinforce how good beer is generally, not just Freshwater beer but how good beer is overall in Australia. I want to focus on reminding people to support quality producers and suppliers in the industry. But there’s a lot of work to be done there, and if we can just do a little bit here on the Northern beaches, that’ll change the perspective of the general consumer, I think that’ll be an awesome thing to achieve.”
Phillips said Freshwater Brewing has some exciting plans in the future that he hopes will help in achieving those goals, including plans for a second venue.