meet the team

Ed Janiak

Owner, President, and Head Brewer

Richard Foard 

Owner, Chief of Operations

As a passionate brewer, Ed has been serving his friends and family with incredible, award-winning brews for many years and is thrilled to be bringing that talent and passion to the community of New Freedom. Ed is also currently pursuing his Cicerone Certification and Beer Judge Certification Program. 

Ed has won numerous awards in local and regional home-brewing competitions, especially for his barrel aged Belgian-style sour beers. Most recently, he has brewed for a local farm brewery to hone his craft specifically in the commercial craft brewing industry. 

Following a 30 plus year career in business and construction, Rich was excited by the opportunity to combine his professional skill set with his longtime passion for craft beer. Leaning on his construction and business expertise, Rich led the brewery and tap room design project from concept to creation. 

Rich was not only eager to help bring award winning, home-brewed beer to the thirsty masses, but also motivated by the chance to become an integral part of New Freedom. Inspired by the area’s deep history of manufacturing and production, in collaboration with Burkentine Builders, Rich set out to provide the new Franklin Square Community with a unique combination of the old industrial feel with a modern brewery aesthetic. His expertise and dedication led to the effort that transformed what was once an abstract thought into what is now the Vortex Brewing Company.

our mission

Our Microbrewery’s mission is to become a recognized local and regional brewery that provides an outstanding craft beer experience using a variety of quality specialized and seasonal beers.

excellent taste

finest ingredients

maximum enjoyment

high-quality beer

new on the blog

come into the eye of the storm & enter the vortex blog

check out the blog for updates on the building, new beer releases, & so much more

the blog

The Vortex Brewing Company is dedicated to my youngest son, Jake, who was taken from the world too soon at 19 years old. Jake’s love for family and friends, deep connection to animals, and genuine compassion for those marginalized in the world continue to inspire me to be a better person. After years of working through the grief and pain in the wake of his passing in 2015, I decided to pursue my lifelong dream of opening a brewery. 

In honor of Jake, I am committed to sharing my passion as Jake did, and show my son, Zach, and my daughter, Jen, that you are never too old to make your dreams come true. I know Jake would be proud, and I can even hear his resounding “h*ll yeah!” of approval. Life was never meant to be easy – and for a lot of us it can feel bittersweet – but the only way to really live is to keep moving forward. 

to jake,
my youngest son.

A note from ed