Pounder Bros. Construction was a pre-eminent builder in 20th-century Stratford, Ontario, and the family also ran the go-to hardware and lumber yard for trades known as Pounders. I remember going there in 2001, when renovating the first house I owned in Stratford. It was quirky, old-timey, and likely had that weird hoojit you needed for the job at hand. Pounders closed in 2013 and the building was vacant for a few years before Stratford construction workers Dave Oldenburger and Phil Buhler decided to launch a brewery together in 2016. According to the brewery’s website, one of their fellow tradespeople suggested they look at the Pounders property and it fit the bill.
The pair did most of the demolition at their new brewery location within the old lumber yard of the building and they saved and repurposed lumber for doors and tables. The counter where you order your beer and pizza is resin, under which are imbedded small tools and hardware. The spirit of the former lumber yard is strong amid the squat silver brew tanks and customer seating areas. The beers, under the Jobsite Brewing Co. brand, all have construction-related names and imagery: Impact IPA’s drill; Big Pour Stout cement truck; 2×4 Cream Ale wood planks; Wrong Nail Amber Ale, with an injured and bandaged thumb.
A few tourists do make it over to Jobsite: It’s on Destination Stratford’s Bacon and Ale Trail – ” a well-balanced meal if you consider barley a vegetable.” But Jobsite is a few blocks away from the central downtown core, adjacent to the rail tracks, so it’s evolved mostly into a local hangout. Regulars have their own ceramic pint-plus mugs to fill. The made-on-site wood-oven pizzas may only have four toppings you can choose from – pepperoni, bacon, spinach and mushroom – but they are crispy-tasty, just the thing with a pint or a flight. There’s also free popcorn, and big squishy pretzels.
My husband Chris’s first cousin once removed, Brock, is brewmaster at Jobsite. The extended group of cousins from this family, along with their elder parents and their children (and these children’s children) gather three to four times a year on a Wednesday starting at 5:30 p.m., when the pizzas have a discount price. Typically, the age range is from two months to 92 years. Another of Chris’s first cousins had her retirement party there. If someone’s birthday falls on or near a family Jobsite night, there’s usually a cake, and glasses raised for a toast.
It’s the perfect place for a casual gathering: you can reserve a few of the picnic tables in the brew area and bring in supplemental food, such as veggie trays or dessert, for your party.
One time we were there to pick up some cans of beer for the home fridge, and I noticed a gang of smartly dressed people in the back, where normally casual clothing fits better due to the fact you’re sitting at picnic tables. Turns out they were between-ceremony-and-reception wedding guests, gathering here while the bridal party was off getting photos taken.
The rest of the Pounders property has found new uses: First in place was Junction 56 Distillery, in what used to the hardware store portion. Above both brewery and distillery is the Stratford Dance Co. studios.
Jobsite isn’t Stratford’s first modern-day craft brewery: That honour goes to Black Swan Brewing, which is located in the downtown, not far from the Avon Theatre. But it has become a true local hangout in its decade of operations, particularly for one Stratford family of relatives who love nothing more than a good bit of gabbing over a pint and a slice.
