Starting a business with family members can be fraught with all sorts of challenges caused by mixing personal with professional. Or, as others find, it may bring them closer together, like the Gohsman brothers, who have banded together to create the 4 Brothers Blended Beer Company. All four have a part to play: Robin Gohsman III is CEO/president, Andy Gohsman is vice president and in charge of sales and marketing, Tommy Gohsman doesn’t have a stake in the business, but he has great ideas and knows a lot about beer, says Jimmy Gohsman, Chief Operating Officer and blendmaster.
Jimmy fostered a love of craft beer when he lived in Colorado. He eventually took up home brewing and shared his love of craft brews with his brothers. When the Gohsmans decided to start a beer company in late 2012, they wanted to offer unique flavor profiles, says Jimmy. So they developed recipes for blending beers. To bring their product to reality they contracted with Sand Creek Brewing Co. in Black River Falls, while the Gohsmans handle creativity, sales and distribution.
The first four blended beers they’ve put out demonstrate their vision and offer a slightly lower alcohol content than many craft beers, between 4.8-5.2%. They are really perfect session beers, says Jimmy.
Sibling Rivalry is a blend of blonde, brown and red ales. The resulting combination is an ale with a nice sweet, caramelly, nutty flavor. This malty beer pairs well with grilled foods.
Relative Madness is a blend of blonde ale and porter. The porter lends a darker, chocolaty up-front taste while the blonde ale softens the porter bitterness and adds a nice crisp finish. Relative Madness goes well with roasted beef or, in the cooler months, a hearty chili. Prodigal Son brings together hoppy Indian Pale Ale and smooth cream ale. With pleasant floral and citrus notes, this smooth, hop-forward ale pairs nicely with everything from grilled meats and spicy Mexican foods to salty snacks and salads.
Whipper Snapper is a refreshing blend of American-style wheat, Helles and amber ale. This is a light, crisp wheat ale that will likely be the most approachable for beer drinkers looking to transition from mainstream light beers. Whipper Snapper is great for a day at the beach or paired with a cool salad on a hot summer evening.
Looking to the future, Jimmy says, “We’ve been really focused on getting out our core brand, but we are looking to have a lager blend out in fall as well as some bigger, darker seasonal beers.”
4 Brothers is available at most area liquor stores and grocery store liquor departments.
For more information about 4 Brothers Blended Beer, visit 4brothersblendedbeer.com.
