Coming soon to Ephrata: Pour Man’s Brewing

“Coming soon” is a relative term when it comes to a brewery opening. Over my almost two decades of writing about beer, wine, and spirits I’ve never once witnessed a brewery open for their initial planned deadline. From PLCB hold ups to improper equipment shipments, there always seems to be something delaying the opening of the next new brewery &tstr; especially in Pennsylvania.

But, as signage goes up at 284 S. Reading Road and kegs start to fill, Ryan Foltz, co-owner of Pour Man’s Brewing Company, hopes soon is, indeed, soon.

“I really hope to open in three to four weeks,” said Foltz, which puts him at the end of July/beginning of August. “End of this month is what I’m telling everyone.”

Foltz and partner, Sam Son, started as homebrewers who joined forces. At Pour Man’s Brewing, they are joined by co-owner, James Stauffer.

Ryan Foltz, co-owner of Pour Man’s Brewing Company, is eager to open the doors of Ephrata’s newest brewery, to be located at 284 S. Reading Road. (Photo by MIchael Upton)

“I got into it so that I eventually had a one-barrel system at home,” said Foltz. “Our whole first garage bay was all homebrew equipment. It got extreme.”

After working out some solid recipes, the two started entering homebrew competitions and began placing well, including second place in the 2016 Iron Brewer competition in Lancaster, and an overall third place finish at the Lititz Homebrew Competition for their Penny Pinchin’ Pale Ale the same year.

“We realized we could open a brewery if we could figure out the money thing,” said Foltz.

And that is where the name Pour Man’s has its origin. As full-time mechanics, the two amateur homebrewers would joke about how they were too poor to open a brewery. But, the dream lived. The competitions boosted their drive. Foltz’s wife, Emily, had the idea to switch “poor” out with “pour” for a clever pun, and Pour Man’s Brewing was growing interest.

The pale ale and Goin Broke IPA are recipes Pour Man’s has spent several years perfecting; both will be on tap when the nano-brewery opens. Three other Pour Man beers will fill taps on opening week: Bella, a strawberry-aged blonde ale; an oatmeal stout called Oats and Hoes; and Farmer Fran, a dry hopped farmhouse-style pale ale.

“We’re probably going to run out of those beers in the first week,” said Foltz, who plans to follow up by offering a DIPA and a cream ale. “I have a line of cream ales planned.”

PA-produced wine and cider will also be available. Future enhancements include a kitchen, but for now the brewery will offer snacks and rely on an agreement with JD’s Pazzo Pizza for a brewery-specific delivery menu of sandwiches and “typical taproom stuff,” said Foltz.

My immediate concern was over parking at the location attached to Rita’s Italian Ice.

“There’s 40 spaces, which wrap all the way around the building,” said Foltz. “It’s all shared. The understanding is, parking is first-come-first-served, but we shouldn’t have much of an issue.”

Pour Man’s will have a capacity of 49 patrons, and will initially be open three days a week, Monday and Friday, 4 to 9 p.m.; and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. More information can be found at pourmansbrewingco.com.

Cheers and thanks for reading!

Michael C. Upton is a freelance writer specializing in arts and leisure. He welcomes comments at somepromcu@gmail.com and facebook.com/SomebodiesProductions.