Ambler’s Forest & Main brewery expands beyond its namesake corner, opens second taproom

It’s been 10 years since Forest & Main Brewing Co. owners Daniel Endicott and Gerard Olson squeezed a seven-barrel brewhouse into an 1880s home a couple blocks off Ambler’s main drag. The brewpub was an instant hit with locals, who flocked to the cozy taproom inside the Victorian house, overflowing onto the front porch and lawn, sipping barrel-aged saisons and British-inspired ales from the cask, nibbling on bacon-flavored popcorn and local cheese.

The charm of their setting may have seemed intrinsic to Forest & Main’s success, but it had drawbacks. Though the restaurant often did well, it was ultimately propped up by the brewery. When the pandemic struck, beer sales took over completely.

It gave Endicott and Olson good reason to consider a move.

“Neither one of us, myself or Gerard, were really restaurant people, so it was always kind of struggle,” Endicott said. “When we started, you had to have a restaurant in order to sell your own beer [by the glass] and that law has changed in the meantime. So we just decided to take advantage of the pandemic and switch gears.”

That’s how Forest & Main uprooted from its namesake corner last year, relocating its taproom to a former skate shop on Butler Avenue last November. They redid the corner spot, adding painted signage and old tables and chairs to imbue it with an English pub feel. Brewing moved to a space further north on Main Street, where a second taproom opened late last month, featuring 20 taps plus local wine and spirits.

When contemplating a new space, Endicott and Olson didn’t think twice about sticking with Ambler. The Upper Dublin and Holy Ghost Prep grads, respectively, sensed the town’s growing momentum when they signed a lease there in 2011, and they still see their future there.

“We plan to be a part of Ambler, both with our business and our families, for many years,” Endicott said. “We felt very lucky to have found a building within the borough for our brewery expansion.”

The new production facility and taproom at 241 N. Main St. let the brewery spread out. Endicott and Olson upgraded to a 15-barrel brew system with several 30-barrel fermenters. They’re aiming to produce about 1,750 barrels this year — more than double their annual production in the previous space. They also added two lagering tanks and three foeders to their healthy collection of barrels, allowing for a greater diversity of beer styles and finishes.

More beer means more sales. Forest & Main finally has enough spare liquid that it can ship direct to customers, a program it plans to launch later this month. It also started distributing in Rhode Island, New York, and Massachusetts. And it’s appearing more regularly on taps in the city, including at Martha, South Philly Tap Room, American Sardine Bar, Local 44, Clarkville, Lunar Inn, Wilder, Zig Zag BBQ, The International, Royal Izakaya, Bloomsday, and Middle Child Clubhouse.

The new space lacks the nooks and crannies of Forest & Main’s original home, but it may prove a better gathering place in the end. With 50 seats and a garage door that will eventually open onto the sidewalk, there’s room here for special events, like the mini saison festival planned for next year.

“A lot of people are more at home in a brewery like this than an old Victorian house,” Endicott said.