Craft-beer lovers of Brisbane’s northern suburbs scored another local brewery to frequent when Fick Brewing Company opened in Northgate at the tail-end of 2019. The brainchild of Nadresha Costa and Fabrizio Ceccarelli, Fick’s origins stretch back to when the couple first met and bonded over beer in Luxembourg. The duo started brewing together while Fabrizio was simultaneously studying the brewing craft in Brussels, dabbling with Belgian-style beers and dreaming of opening a brewhouse of their own. The opportunity presented itself when the couple relocated to Brisbane to renew Fabrizio’s visa in 2016. Surprised by how much the Nundah and Northgate areas had changed since they last lived in Brisbane, the duo figured that the local brewing scene offered fertile ground for their own dream of a humble brewery that catered to locals. Dreams became reality not long after as the duo came across a suitable location in Northgate that could house their home and an on-site micro-brewing and bar operation. After securing initial approvals, work commenced on establishing a 12-hectolitre brewing operation in the site’s rear shed, while a taproom and outdoor beer garden (designed to boast a European bar feel) was constructed towards the front. The brewing set up boasts five fermenters – two double sized and three single sized – allowing for a total of five beers to be brewed at any one time. Nadresha and Fabrizio’s plan is to brew Belgian-style beers, but while they’ve been waiting for the brewery to be fully commissioned, the duo have been brewing at Glass House Brewery on the Sunshine Coast, whipping up two styles to start with. Fick’s kitchen is serving a selection of European-style street food, taking ideas from Belgium, Germany and France for a collection of snacks such as currywurst (with curry ketchup), tarte flambee, wagyu beef burgers with blue cheese and jalapeno mayo, and share boards heaped high with morsels such as Barossa Bark crispbread, Tasmanian ashed brie, Serrano ham and mallorquina.