Twin brothers Asa and Colton Proveau share both an entrepreneurial dream and a passion for craft beer. As with all true passions, they didn’t just dream about their amber-coloured someday, but worked tirelessly to make their vision into reality. With help from their business partner Michael Bevan, and courses in brewing and business, Asa and Colton founded the Brothers Brewing Company, and their microbrews are in such high demand that Brothers’ wares are, “selling as fast as we can make it.”
While Michael, Asa, and Colton are pleased with their initial successes, they have already begun to expand their vision into a world-class ale house experience. Beyond seeing customers enjoy their original recipes, the team wants to engage the community in Guelph.
Divide and Conquer
When Asa and Colton first decided their love for craft beer would become more than just a delicious hobby, they determined the best game plan would be to divide and conquer.” Colton enrolled in business administration courses at Brock University, and Asa attended the Brewmaster and Brewery Management program at Niagara College.
Also studying Brewery Management in Niagara at the time was Michael Bevan, a retired RBC financial professional with an eye for spotting talent. Bevan added decades of practical business experience and connections to the brothers’ passion, and two years later, Brothers Brewery is enjoying the (fermented) fruits of their labour.
Crafting Not Only Beer, but a Social Experience
Brothers Brewing has now set its sights on excelling as more than just a wholesaler. They will soon be opening the first ale house in Guelph, and hope to create a modern craft beer experience that is steeped in historical significance. And while there are several microbreweries in Guelph, Brothers is looking to go one step further, creating an in-house bar to feature their latest brews and get instant feedback from customers.
The space they’ve chosen is a historic landmark, beginning its life in 1882 as a pharmacy, then becoming a home to the Apollo Eleven eatery, and later being designated an Ontario Heritage Act building.
The slight hiccup in the plan was that after finding the perfect physical location, refining recipes and sourcing equipment, Brothers experienced a cash flow crunch. Since both brewing and drinking craft beer had enabled them to become part of a tight-knit community, the boys set up a crowdfunding campaign in the hopes that the craft community would support them. After raising more than $10,000 with perks such creating an original craft beer recipe, Brothers is moving ahead with plans to unveil their new ale house to the world.
Unique and Genuine
While not every dream becomes a reality, staying flexible and resilient has allowed the brothers to maintain their passion. From the initial idea, to educating themselves, to finding a business partner, to learning about real estate, the brothers and Bevan have remained true to their craft beer roots.
For both the Proveau brothers and Bevan, “success doesn’t mean being in every LCBO […] we have no plans for world domination. We want to keep making great tasting beer, but also create a company that is unique and genuine—we want to make a living while having a blast.”
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