Ambler-based beer makers commended for not just selling, but buying, 'local'

We’ve all seen plenty of beer lists. No, not just those sticky ones at the bar, offering the day’s drafts and specials. But rather, there is a vast sea of rankings, expert tips, and taste suggestions when it comes to the world of craft beers. So, when one stands out as unique or unusual, it seems more of an honor to be named among its best.

The honor is all the more of an important nod when it is for being, shopping, creating, and selling local! 

PA Eats recently created such a list called the “Pennsylvania Grain to Glass Brewery Trail,” which not only outlined some of the Commonwealth’s best beers, but also created a map to go along with it.

“While there are tons of brewery trails outlining where and how to find amazing locally made beer, we wanted to create a special one to highlight the breweries dedicated to using local malted grains and other brewing ingredients,” said PAEats.org with its latest feature by Emily Kovach. “Breweries can source ingredients from all over the world, including from massive distributors. We celebrate the breweries that stick closer to home and purchase local ingredients to make truly local beers.”

Among its mapped locales was Ambler’s own Forest & Main. Forest & Main Brewing Co. was founded in 2012 by cofounders Gerard Olson and Daniel Endicott. It reportedly gained a reputation for its “farmhouse-style saisons, pub ales, and lagers,” as well as “experimental brews,” according to Kovach.

“Some of its beers are even made with yeast cultures foraged from its location in Ambler, for a deeper sense of ‘microbial terroir,’” she wrote. “One example is the Solaire Reserve, a Foeder Saison made with 100% Deer Creek Malt spelt and barley, hopped with Hallertau Hersbrucker and fermented in an oak foeder.”

Kovach highlighted the “traditional Czech side pulls and hand-pumped cask pours” as some of the Forest & Main’s best features.

Forest & Main features two area locations, with “The Pub” at 33 E. Butler Ave., in Ambler, which offers a space to BYO foods, and enjoy the crafted ales.

“Our pub in the heart of Ambler is the place to go for a pint and a game of darts,” explains the site. Guests are encouraged to purchase food at local restaurants, and bring it in to pair with the Forest & Main brews. It has beers to-go or for enjoying on site.

“The Brewery” located at 241 N. Main St., Ambler, brings the full selection of draft bears, as well as cask ales, and side-pull lagers, in addition to its featured bottles and “rare draft selections.”

“We have a rotating line-up of food trucks and special events, so keep an eye on our calendar of events,” said the site. A fresh calendar is routinely placed on the page for guests to preview the offerings before they head on over.
The Brewery is only open to the public on weekends, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 8 p.m. The Pub is closed on Mondays, but open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4 to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 11 p.m., and Sundays noon to 8 p.m.

For more information on Forest & Main, visit https://forest-and-main-brewing-co.myshopify.com/. For the full Pennsylvania Grain to Glass Brewery Trail, visit https://www.paeats.org/feature/pa-grain-to-glass-brewery-trail/.