300 bottles of beer on the wall. . .

The owner plans for expansion and organized tastings within the next year.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
ELLSWORTH -- The back wall of the Country Pantry Food Store and Deli is covered with row after row of bottles.
Some bear unusual names such as "Purple Haze," "Flying Dog" or "Merry Monks." Others have traveled some distance, coming from Vietnam, Latvia, Greece and even China.
Above the shelves hangs a piece of cardboard with handwritten notices saying lists of the products are available at the counter and updated monthly. Another notice reads "Tour buses welcome." And yet another dubs the creation of store owner Robert Toman the "Wall of Foam."
"I figure either I'm really smart or I'm really stupid for coming up with this," jokes Toman. "I can't really figure it out just yet."
The Wall of Foam, located along the back wall of the convenience store at Routes 224 and 45 in Ellsworth Township, features more than 300 varieties of beer, ale, stout and "malternatives," malt-based beverages that are marketed as an alternative to beers or wine coolers, Toman explains. It's a fairly equal mix of domestic microbrews and imports that lines the shelves.
Answer to consumer demand
Toman, a Youngstown native who now calls Ellsworth his home, started the Wall of Foam about 10 years ago.
"Mostly it was because people kept coming in asking for different types of beer," he said. "Now, we cater to all types of people: Beer geeks who've searched the Internet for specialty beers, or people who've traveled to other parts of the world and want to relive those experiences through the beers they drank."
Because of strict regulations in Ohio, Toman has searched for various distributors who are approved to sell different selections of beers, in addition to searching for beers and stouts that have been approved for sale in the Buckeye state.
"We had to do quite a bit of research to find whatever we could," Toman said. "Nobody came pounding on our door to sell these products for them."
But a recent change in state law -- legislators agreed to allow for the sale of imports with a higher alcohol content -- means Toman will revamp and expand the Wall of Foam. One of the constants, Toman noted, is that the inventory changes all the time.
"We usually tell people if there's something you've been looking for and you see it here, you better buy it now, because it might not be here next time," he said.
Keeping shelves stocked
Since shipments of imports are not always reliable, and because distributors are always getting new products, Toman said, he's willing to stock just about anything to keep the Wall of Foam stocked.
Another selling point, he adds, is that shoppers interested in trying new tastes can do so without making a major investment. Most of the beverages are sold by the individual bottle, allowing shoppers to mix and match their finds.
"I just looked at it from my point of view as a consumer," Toman says, explaining his reasoning behind the selling strategy. "If I try something new and don't like it, I don't want five more bottles of it sitting around."
In addition to expanding the Wall of Foam, Toman also plans to add more features, such as tastings. A new program in Ohio allows a person to obtain a license to conduct organized tasting sessions, similar to wine tastings.
"My goal is to have that here within the next year or so," he said.
And of course, tour buses will still be welcome, he added.
"We have actually had a few buses stop here and there," Toman said. "We're quite the tourist attraction out here."
slshaulis@vindy.com