Duo pour pints from their vintage truck
MONROE — Greg Zach and Nick Kuhn have added a vintage twist to the idea of how beer will travel.
After working together in law enforcement for years, the duo late last year took to their own side hustle, purchasing and restoring a vintage 1950 Ford F-2 pickup and customizing it with a modern tap system.
From there, Monroe-based Classic Pour was born.
“This is definitely a business, but with this, we’re able to have some fun with it,” said Kuhn, a Trumbull resident and owner of Bridgeport-based Pro Party Rental, a provider for party rental equipment and custom theming throughout Connecticut and areas of New York.
The truck offers four taps, allowing different beverages to be served simultaneously. All come courtesy of Classic Pour’s business relationship with GlenRo Spirit Shoppe, the biggest liquor store in Monroe, and its general manager, Pat Kennedy.
“Pat is one of the most knowledgeable people when it comes to what different local craft breweries offer to suit the customer’s particular need,” Zach said. “He has helped us from the beginning, and we plan on continuing to do business with GlenRo as our distributor for the foreseeable, future.”
The beer – IPAs, lagers, pilsners, etc. – comes from local craft breweries, as well as wellknown domestics – Coors, Miller, Corona, Modelo. And there’s also the option of cocktails like mojitos and gin and tonics. Basically, he said, anything that comes in a keg can be served.
Zach, a Monroe resident and Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq in 2003, said he and Kuhn had been intrigued by the idea of a traveling beer truck but wanted to stand out from the
Nicholas Kuhn, left, of Trumbull, and Greg Zach, of Monroe, are the owners of Classic Pour. They bring a vintage 1950 Ford F2 pickup truck customized with a modern beer tap system built into the back, to special events. competition.
That’s where the vintage truck idea came into the play.
Zach then began his search for the perfect truck. Not only did it need to be vintage, but it had to have a rustic appearance to truly
Nicholas Kuhn’s and Greg Zach’s truck offers four taps, allowing different beverages to be served simultaneously. justify them using the term “classic,” he said.
That truck turned out to be a vintage 1950 Ford F-2 pickup that for decades called a corn farm in Nebraska home. The pair purchased the antique in August
from its most recent owner in Manchester.
Zach said he did the leg work finding the perfect truck. From there Kuhn, who for a time was a fourth-generation theatrical construction worker, went to work creating the wooden structure to hold the four taps.
“Nick had a real vision ... and he brought this to life,” Zach said.
Then it got trickier. While both admitted having experience drinking beer, it was a different matter when it came to storing hops in the bed of a pickup and distributing it through taps popping out the side.
“We had a lot to learn, but we really have a handle on this now,” Zach said.
Luckily they got the basics down just in time for an unexpected appearance pouring suds at the Connecticut Brew Fest exhibition
in October at Mohegan Sun. More recently, the pair attended the 38th annual Connecticut Wedding & Bridal Expo at the Convention Center in Hartford.
“We will go anywhere,” Zach said. “We feel this is a great way for people to celebrate their most special moments ... and we are happy to be a part of that.”
Classic Pour is available for weddings, corporate and private events, and bachelor and bachelorette parties but nothing is off the table, according to Zach. He says Classic Pour can serve groups as large as 120 people easily, but smaller size gatherings are welcome.
“We love being around people, socializing with friends and family, so this job is just perfect for us,” Zach added. “We are a good team, and it is our hope to bring the enjoyment we get from this to as many people as possible.”