What started in 2017 as a joke in someone’s garage became a serious venture for four couples. The result is all eight would realize a dream come true: 4 By 4 Brewing Company. Now, the brewery will expand to a second location to increase production and bolster distribution. Owners Danielle and Derek Shimeall, Justin and Stacy Steenburgh, Chris and Shila Shaffer, and Steve and Kelly Dobbs decided to build the brewery after a birthday trip to Nashville that involved several craft beers. 

Making Space for Customers to Enjoy Beer 

“We came back home and started researching,” says Danielle, general manager/event coordinator creative maven/social media guru. “It took us about 13 months to get things up and running, and now it has grown far past our expectations thanks to all of our amazing customers.”  

4 By 4 Brewing is a locally based, community-and-family-minded taproom and brewing company. It specializes in creating innovative beer and making a space for its customers to enjoy the quality of its beer in the company of friends and family. “Our space holds a family-friendly atmosphere complete with indoor and outdoor games for children and adults along with an indoor and outdoor beer garden,” says Danielle.  

The brewery has two locations: the current Galloway location in Springfield and its new, still in development location in Fremont Hills near Ozark and Nixa. The brewery in Galloway is a neighborhood taproom and beer garden. 

New, Larger Facility 

Opening in fall/winter 2022, the Fremont location will have an even larger taproom with an event center. The12,200 square-foot facility in Christian County will have a 10,000 barrel capacity, significantly greater than the 2,000 barrel capacity of the current location. This larger facility and increased production will allow 4 By 4 to further expand its distribution in Missouri. 

New Canning Line 

As was true for many businesses, the pandemic forced 4 By 4 Brewing Company to become creative and malleable. With curbside pickup their only option, the 4 By 4 owners quickly jumped into canning. They purchased a canning line and now continue to have six beers consistently in the market. They also can everything else in their taproom from their Oktober machine, which seals one can at a time for a complete grab-and-go selection.  

Currently, the business is operating at 100 percent capacity, and its owners are deeply grateful for their customer support. Future plans are focused on their new building. “We’re building from the ground up, which has led to a lot of learning for all of us,” says Danielle. “We’re excited to build and learn through the process in order to have a new destination taproom and production facility.”  

The new brewery will have a spacious patio with green space plus private event space for rent. Beers on tap will include Smooth Criminal IPA, a silky hop bomb with hints of juicy tropical flavors. 

4 By 4 Brewing Company