While Moscow was under a stay-at-home order, Pour Co. opened its doors on Sixth Street.
Stefan Yauchzee, the owner of the business, said it was not his plan to open during the pandemic, but it has not slowed his plans.
“I’ve always kind of wanted to do this and kept kind of pushing back and saying I don’t want to work nights and weekends, I don’t want to work retail,” Yauchzee said. “But eventually it just got to the point where I just felt like I needed to do it or I’d always regret it.”
The shop is located on the edge of the University of Idaho campus, next door to Stax.
“We are specializing in finding beer that other people don’t have in the region,” Yauchzee said.
He said he has found people are a little shocked when they see the selection he has on his website. The selection covers beer brands from Stiegl to Shades to Fremont.
With both tap and bottled beers, Yauchzee said he’s looking to bring Moscow community members a variety of beers.
His motivation for opening Pour Co. came from both his interest in craft beer and the closure of Wine Company of Moscow.
“The thing that pushed me to do it a little bit was when the Wine Company closed down because I always went in there and chatted with Terry and he was great about getting beer that I was looking for and friends were looking for. When he closed down, that’s when my wife looked at me and said ‘You just have to do it yourself and take that risk,’” Yauchzee said.
Kali Nelson | Argonaut
Currently, due to COVID-19, Yauchzee said customers can check what’s in stock on his website and pick up their orders at the store.
“People can order (bottled beer), buy it and then I just bag it, keep it in the back in my walk-in cooler and they pick it up whenever they like. People also, when they’re walking by, can pop in and just get a quick selection to go as well,” Yauchzee said.
The hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. all week until May 30, when Pour Co. can open the inside to limited seating, maintaining social distancing. That is when Yauchzee said he’ll start ordering kegs.
“Our stock is designed to rotate quickly, beer, IPA’s, everything’s going to be pretty fresh,” Yauchzee said.
Kali Nelson can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @kalinelson6