Sarah Brock isn’t afraid to admit that when she and her husband opened Pour 64 in July of 2017, they had no idea what they were doing.

Brock compares opening the local tap room to having kids.  “You can babysit kids, and you can grow up with brothers and sisters, but when you have one, you’re like, ‘Ok, this is totally not anything like I thought it was going to be!’” says Brock.  “That’s exactly like opening Pour 64.”

Almost two years later, Brock remembers opening Pour 64 as a worthwhile gamble.  “Someone was going to put something here so why not us?” she says. “We just took a leap of faith and said either Mint Hill’s going to love it or we’re going to fail miserably!”

Originally, Brock and her husband, who had dabbled in brewing beer at home, thought about opening a brewery.  But with the market already saturated with small-batch craft brewers, Brock threw out the idea of a growler shop, a place where customers could sample brews and fill growlers of fresh draft beer to take home.

But for Brock, who describes herself as “very community-driven,” the growler shop concept was missing something.  “I wanted to be able to spend time with the community and get to know people that came around,” she says, “so we decided why don’t we do a tap room?”  

Brock envisioned a place where Mint Hill locals could not only learn more about beer but also get to know one another over a pint.  “When you go to a bar, sometimes you just grab a beer and you sit down. You’re not engaging with the people behind the bar,” says Brock, who prides herself on making their forty rotating taps accessible for beer enthusiasts and novices alike.  “We try to talk to every customer that comes in, make them feel welcome.”

Pour 64 fills a void for craft beer enthusiasts who might otherwise find themselves venturing to Matthews or uptown Charlotte.  “We wanted to provide a great selection of local beer for the customers so you didn’t have to go uptown all the time,” says Brock, who has lived in Mint Hill with her family for fourteen years.  “I think people like that we live here,” she continues. “Our biggest question that we get is, ‘Are you a franchise?’ and I tell them no, my husband and I own it, and we live here in Mint Hill.”

The past year and a half hasn’t been without challenges for the new business owners.  One of the first obstacles the Brocks confronted the night they opened was the overwhelming volume level in the tap room.  “I didn’t even know sound panels existed!” says Brock, who has since installed sound panels and made changes to the tap room’s furniture.  “We’ve just been learning as we go. I think the biggest thing is to keep looking at what you’re doing and make sure you’re hitting the mark with customers.”

Challenges aside, the past two years have been a great success story for the Brocks and Pour 64.  “I wanted the community to come in and feel like this was part theirs,” says Brock. “I feel like we’ve created that in just a very short period of time.  The community has been so welcoming. It seems easier than it should have been!”

In the past two years, Pour 64 has become a true community fixture.  Every Wednesday night, they host “Music Bingo,” a free and fun event for the whole family.  Although you must be 21 to win any alcohol-related prizes, even kids can play and win things like stickers and t-shirts.  Pour 64 offers $7 flights every Wednesday during Music Bingo.

On the third Thursday of every month, Pour 64 hosts a “Brewery of the Month,” alternating local and non-local craft brewers.  Last month’s brewery of the month was California-based Stone Brewing. On April 18, Pour 64 will welcome Charlotte-based Lenny Boy Brewing Company, who will be celebrating their 7th anniversary.  Every Third Thursday tap event features a food truck as well.

Although Pour 64 doesn’t serve food, they welcome outside food in their establishment.  “If you can order it and have it delivered, you can have it here,” says Brock, adding that customers are welcome to bring food from home.  In fact, several local Mint Hill restaurants deliver to Pour 64 including Jimmy Johns, Marco’s Pizza and Big Guys.

Looking toward the future, Brock doesn’t dream of franchising or moving up.  Instead, she hopes to continue to make a difference in the community she loves.  “I think we’re just trying to perfect. We’re trying to make sure what we’re doing here in Mint Hill is the best we can do,” says Brock.  “My passion right now is not to franchise, or grow more, or do this somewhere else. I just want to bring more fun events to Mint Hill! I want people to stay here and say, ‘Look what Mint Hill has!’”