The pair grew up together and would play tennis together on Tuesday nights. They longed for a local 'drinking hole' - a place to drink a beer afterwards. So, Mark began experimenting with brewing home-made beers in his garage, and the foundations for Broulee Brewhouse were formed.

Last week their dream was finally realised. Broulee Brewhouse - founded by Rodney and Mark and their wives - opened to the public December 9 and was inundated with locals excited by the new business venture.

"There hasn't been a place to go out in Broulee for twenty years," Dave Quinton, Rodney's brother and license manager of the venue, said. "We want to bring it back. Keep it local."

Dave remembers he and his brother as youngsters leaning a bodyboard upright against a brick wall to play cricket on what was the vacant site where the new Brewhouse now stands.

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All Broulee Brewhouse beer is brewed on site in either one of five 600 litre fermentation vessels or the 800 litre vessel. The Brewhouse offers seven locally made brews, and supplies beer to local venues too, such as the Waterfront Hotel and Tomakin Sports Club. They also stock wines from the region, and a menu celebrating local ingredients.

Dave returned to Broulee from a hospitality job in Sydney to oversea the project. He said the venture, which many locals had fantasised about over time, required a large investment in both capital and spare time.

The Brewhouse was aiming to open for the October long-weekend, however poor weather and COVID-19 restrictions delayed construction. Dave is looking forward to the extra business from the tourist crowd from Sydney and Canberra over summer.

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Dave lists the effort Broulee Brewhouse has gone to attain the freshest ingredients for the brewing process. The process is scientific requiring specific water salinity and temperatures as well as extensive knowledge of brewing hops. His focus is, first and foremost, on the quality of beer created.

Brewhouse can hold 120 patrons and is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11am-9pm.