25th year anniversary
“It’s a great celebration. 25th anniversary is a big milestone and not many companies are able to pull that off, so we’re really proud of it and looking forward to showing everybody all our fans a great time,” said Jim Ebel, co-founder of Two Brothers.
Two Brothers hosted a celebration at the Roundhouse in Aurora on Thursday to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Brothers Jason and Jim Ebel opened Two Brothers Brewery in Warrenville back in 1996, joining a rich tradition of local beer history.
“Naperville was definitely a city that had a brewery way back when Adolph Coors worked in Naperville. Actually, which is pretty crazy and there are still caves in Naperville. They’re all sealed off now, but they used to store the beer in the caves and they’re just North of the DuPage River which is pretty cool,” said Jim.
The start of the company
Before the brothers started the company they lived abroad in France. When they returned to the United States, they struggled to find the European style of beer that was offered overseas. Unable to get the beer off their minds, the idea for Two Brothers took root.
“It was actually our mother, because one time at a family dinner we were having, she said you guys either need to open a brewery or shut up about beer because all you guys do is talk about beer and brewing and how much fun it would be,” said Jason Ebel, co-founder of Two Brothers. “So, you’re young, go try it or stop talking about it. And so we looked at each other and went, ok I guess we got the green light, and let’s try it.”
Jim and Jason began with beers like: Domaine DuPage, Brown Fox, and Prairie Path, paying tribute to the local area. Domaine DuPage, a French style country ale, became the company’s flagship beer and is the most awarded beer in the history of the brewers’ association, with nine awards in the last twenty years, all helping to expand Two Brothers’ footprint.
Expansion and Growth
“So, we’re in ten states now. So, we’re not just a Warrenville-Naperville area brewery. We cover the Chicago metro area, as well as downstate Illinois and then a number of other states. So our beer is well received throughout the country,” said Jason.
Continuing the growth, the brothers expanded into coffee production as craft coffee and craft beer have much in common: from fermentation to flavor profiles. The two drinks also require a passion and hard work to be successful.
“So, we also have a coffee roasting company and a distillery we roast coffee here in Warrenville. We do about half a million pounds of beans a year just for the Chicago market. You can find it in all of your local groceries as well as some crafty cafés and stuff that carry our product,” Jason said.
The two brothers set their hearts on spreading beer and its culture throughout the country.
“We’ve always realized the community is what we need for our support. So we gotta give our support back to the community,” said Jim.
Naperville News 17’s Anthony Yench and Patrick Codo report
If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you!