East Forty Brewing

East Forty Brewing is a craft brewery and taproom anchoring downtown Blue Springs, opened in June 2018 by founder and brewer David Mann and co-owner Matt Bryan. Named for Highway 40 — which bisects Blue Springs — and the forty-acre rural land parcel of the American Midwest, the brewery serves as both a neighborhood pub and a destination for eastern Jackson County.¹²

Description

East Forty Brewing occupies a converted 5,000-square-foot former print shop at 1201 W. Main St. in downtown Blue Springs, housing the brewery, taproom, and kitchen under one roof.² The brewery produces six flagship beers alongside rotating and seasonal offerings, with a full taproom menu that extends to wine, cider, cocktails, kombucha, cold brew coffee, and sodas.¹ The space is designed as a “mix of local, hometown bar and destination brewery,” positioned to serve Blue Springs residents and draw visitors from across eastern Jackson County and the broader Kansas City metro.³

The name “East Forty” carries a dual meaning intentional to its Blue Springs geography. “East” references the east side of the Kansas City metropolitan area; “Forty” refers to US Highway 40, which runs through the heart of Blue Springs, and also invokes the forty-acre parcel — the traditional unit of rural American land division — connecting the brewery to the Midwest agricultural heritage of its setting.²

East Forty has earned recognition as Best Brewery, Best Bar, and Best Local Craft Beer in the Best of Eastern Jackson County awards.¹ The taproom hosts regular community events including trivia nights and seasonal programming, cementing its role as a civic anchor in downtown Blue Springs.¹

Ownership and history

Founding

David Mann began homebrewing in 2011, quickly progressing to all-grain brewing and developing original recipes. In 2013, he and his wife Amber poured their beers publicly for the first time at the KC Nanobrew Festival, an event they continued attending for five years and which generated the positive feedback that convinced Mann to pursue the brewery professionally.⁴

By late 2016, Mann committed to the business transition. Throughout 2017 he completed the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s FastTrac business planning course, attended the Craft Brewer’s Conference, partnered with Matt Bryan as co-owner, secured SBA-backed financing, and on October 31, 2017 closed on the downtown Blue Springs building. Renovations followed, and the brewery opened in June 2018.²⁴ Head brewer Nate Hoylman joined the team at opening, contributing additional recipes and expertise.⁴

Ownership table

Period	Owner / Operator	Notes
2018 → present	David Mann (Founder & President) + Matt Bryan (Co-Owner)	Opened June 2018 in former downtown Blue Springs print shop.4

Local-roots context

David Mann describes his mission as providing “a much-needed hometown pub and brewery for Blue Springs and eastern Jackson County” and bringing the offering to “my neighbors and fellow residents.”² Sources do not explicitly confirm whether Mann was born in Blue Springs; he is documented as a Blue Springs resident and neighbor who built the brewery for his immediate community.

Links

• eastfortybrewing.com
• East Forty Brewing — Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce
• Instagram: @eastfortybrewing

Sources

Disputes

None at this time.

Footnotes

1. https://www.yelp.com/biz/east-forty-brewing-blue-springs — Yelp (updated March 2026). Asserts: active business, 1201 W Main St, current hours, Best of Eastern Jackson County awards. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

2. https://flatlandkc.org/eats-drinks/tap-list-east-forty-brewing-set-open-blue-springs/ — Flatland KC. Asserts: founders David Mann and Matt Bryan; May 2018 anticipated opening (actual June 2018); name origin (Hwy 40, forty acres); “hometown pub and brewery for Blue Springs and eastern Jackson County.” ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

3. http://kansascitybeer.com/98/ — Kansas City Beer. Asserts: “mix of local, hometown bar and destination brewery”; creative but approachable beers; Mann’s community identity. ↩

4. https://david-mann-gblm.squarespace.com/about-1 — East Forty Brewing (official About page). Asserts: Mann homebrewing since 2011; KC Nanobrew Festival 2013–; business launch decision late 2016; October 31 2017 building close; opened June 2018; head brewer Nate Hoylman. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴