This morning I wondered just what I would write for our first post now that we have this wonderful (and honest) website up and running. So much has happened in the last 12 months. It’s been a whirl of emotions and a domino effect of events to get us to where we are today.

But rather than reflecting on the last 12 months I thought I might go a little deeper. To a place where it all began and how it very nearly never happened. You see, I am extremely fortunate to live in a very beautiful location, the Currumbin Valley on the Gold Coast, Australia. It’s a luscious green valley not far from some of the best beaches in Australia and within this valley lies The Eco Village . This is where I and my business partners reside with our families.

I moved here in 2008, purely by chance but that’s another story for another day. The Eco Village is a sustainable and connected community with shared facilities which include a community hall, swimming pool, library and a recycling centre. There is also an abundance of natural green space where wild animals thrive in nature alongside its residents. This encourages social interaction in your daily movements which is not for everyone but I love it. The community of people that reside here are diverse, energetic, pioneering , creative, lovely and fun.

Over time you gravitate towards the people that are most like you or have similar ideals and subsequently great friendships are born. Our friendships were solid from the start and during those early days it was also at the same time the craft beer industry was going through its first real upward movement. The craft beer isles at the bottle shops were becoming more prominent and giving the generic beer brands a run for their money.

In an effort to increase our exposure to the new and wonderful offerings becoming available I suggested that we host a craft beer night. We would offer the locals a chance to taste up to 6 new craft beers on a regular basis. Craft beer isn’t cheap and no one wants to grab a six pack only to find its not to their liking after the first one. The friends I sounded the idea out to thought it was a sound plan and we then banded together and put it to the community. The first night we hosted had approximately 10 people in attendance but this grew and it’s now a regular event that sees 50+ people in attendance. The village Craft Beer Night is the longest running event in the community and still out performs any other community event for consistent large numbers. Its an event that’s not just about the beer but a night where people come together to catch up, eat, drink and be merry without any real agenda.

It’s where this journey all began. Part 2 to come in a few days …………