My dad started home
brewing years ago.
And when I graduated
from college,
I moved back home
to Houston, and I
started doing it with him.
Our family started
brewing beer when
Prohibition went into effect.
And it just kept on
as a family tradition.
And Jennifer kind of got
involved in it with me.
JENNIFER EDWARDS: We called it
making some and drinking some.
We did it every
Friday, Saturday night.
In 2015, I got laid
off from a banking job.
And so when that happened,
we decided to go full time
and open a brewery,
4J Brewing Company.
We opened March of 2018.
I'm Jennifer Edwards, founder
and owner here at 4J Brewing
Company in Houston, Texas.
The beer's the best
beer I've ever had.
So, I mean, I love
the beer here.
LARRY EDWARDS: She was
very interested in it
the whole time.
And she really surprised me.
I didn't think she was
that interested in it.
We'd always thought
about opening a brewery
but never really put it into
action until I got laid off.
LARRY EDWARDS: And
I said, well, you're
going to have to brew with me
every week so I could teach
you how to do all this stuff.
We brewed every week for about
two years, two or three years,
and opened in March of '18.
There were a lot of
struggles in the beginning
in terms of licensing.
Took a long time
to order equipment.
So I learned how
to spell the word
patience during that time, which
I didn't know how to before.
It's the
trial-and-error method.
And she did all that.
So we pumped a lot of
beer into the sewer,
because we didn't
like the taste of it.
And so we kept on
till we got it.
We have five
year-round beers on tap.
We have a pale ale, IPA,
amber, blonde, and stout.
And four of those where the
original beers that my dad
and I home brewed together.
I love the IPA.
I love the hoppiness.
I love the stout.
I love dark beers, so
their stout's pretty good.
Amber is the best.
We are located on the
west side of Houston.
I grew up here.
We live a few miles
down the street.
We're not selling to
bars and restaurants yet.
We're just here in the tap room.
We're open three days
a week right now.
During those days, we have
a weekly running club.
We always had some sort of event
going on, or try to, at least.
I actually live
within walking distance,
right down the street.
And they're only open
two, three days a week.
I'm here two, three days a week.
So--
So my dad and I
founded the business.
And-- or we were the original
home brewers back in the day.
But he didn't want to
be on the paperwork.
He wanted to be a-- an
official taste tester.
LARRY EDWARDS: And the
maintenance guy and janitor.
JENNIFER EDWARDS:
And so my mom and I
are actually the owners, which
makes us 100% female owned.
The name 4J comes
from the family.
So I am the fourth
J in the family.
My sisters are Jessica,
Jackie, Joanna, and Jennifer.
And they help out
on the weekends.
LARRY EDWARDS:
It's a lot of fun.
I'm amazed with her.
She's absolutely amazing.
Well, so my dad
says that I am--
I stole his hobby.
But I just always rebuttal
that with, well, now
you have an unlimited
supply of beer.
So--
