Angela and Scott Wyman are ready to take a seat at Couch Brewery.
This spring, the O’Hara Township couple plans to move their home-based beer-making operation, Tortured Souls Brewing Co., into the building at 1351 Washington Blvd. in Larimer. After nearly five years in business, Couch held its last day of service on Dec. 19.
The Wymans say they are going to transform the 5,700-square-foot space – which currently has a retro, 1970s rec room vibe — into a goth, industrial atmosphere.
They’ve always been fans of the Halloween season, but they insist the décor won’t be like a pop-up bar in October, but more like a Nine Inch Nails video. New couches made of black velvet have already been purchased.
“We don’t want it to be campy,” Angela Wyman says. “There’s a lot of competition out there. You need to have something that’s a little different.”
For more than a decade, they’ve been brewing beer in their basement. It started as a group project with some friends, but the Wymans were the only participants who developed a passion for the hobby. They made everything from stouts and porters to IPAs. As their skills grew, so did the size and sophistication of their brewing equipment.
While they will keep some of Couch’s equipment, the Wymans will upgrade the brewing system, allowing them to make more beer for on-site consumption and to-go can sales. Their homebrewing lineup includes Banshee Irish Stout, Resurrection Coffee Stout, Crowley Cream Ale, Salem’s Lament New England IPA, Demeter Cucumber Wheat and the seasonal Krampusnacht Spiced Ale.
Tortured Souls will also offer a variety of homemade seltzers and specialty cocktails featuring spirits from local distilleries.
Other plans include constructing a stage to host performances, creating private event rooms and partnering with a food truck to serve as the brewery’s go-to grub purveyor.
The Wymans, frequent Couch patrons who befriended the owners, want to keep the company’s Bingo nights and will even brew some Couch beers on occasion.
The two companies joined forces at this year’s Steel City Big Pour at Construction Junction. They received a lot of positive feedback from festival-goers and plan to follow up by pouring at a Beers of the Burgh event in June 2022.