Henmick Farm & Brewery, Delaware

It’s easy to see Henmick Farm & Brewery’s appeal, with its white barn buildings and wide, grassy patios on a property that has been in Nick Sheets’ family for more than a century. The place was an instant hit when it opened in July 2021, with eager crowds, ranging from beer connoisseurs to families looking for an afternoon outing, visiting to see the place.

Sheets’ family stopped actively farming on the Delaware County property when he was a high school freshman and leased out the acreage to another farmer. As he grew older though, Sheets felt himself drawn back to the land.

“When I was younger, I wanted to go out and do things,” he says. “The last place I wanted to be was back on the farm. Now it’s the only place I want to be.”

Following his father’s death, Sheets approached his siblings and his aunt in 2018 about trying something different with the property. He focused on an 8-acre plot that his father had cultivated as a horse farm and drew inspiration from rural craft breweries he had discovered during his travels through New England, as well as trips with his wife to California wine country. In 2020, he quit his job to focus solely on the brewery.



Sheets describes Henmick Farm & Brewery’s vibe as “upscale country.” The main building is fashioned out of a refurbished 1860 barn from Lancaster, while the adjoining taproom and brewing facility incorporate wood salvaged from other Ohio barns. Expansive stone and grass patios with fire pits and picnic tables offer spaces to sit outside, and local food trucks are always there.

Head brewer Zack Cline, who previously worked at Lancaster’s Rockmill Brewery, crafts a diverse portfolio of beers, ranging from European lagers and wheats to stouts and porters to traditional and hazy IPAs.

“He’s nailed everything we’ve been putting out,” Sheets says. “We can appeal to any type of beer drinker.”

Many of the brewery’s ingredients, including most of its malts, come from suppliers that buy from Ohio farmers, and Sheets says visitors have warmly embraced the rural atmosphere.

“In the Midwest, everyone has a connection to a farm,” he says. “We want it to feel like you’re just visiting the farm for the day.” 

4380 N. Old State Rd., Delaware 43015, henmick.com