Apothecary Brewing Co. owners John Ponte and Andy Poole hope to create a space filled to the brim with community, fun, and craft beer.
The space that once housed Hangman Brewing has seen quite a bit of change in the past year. John Ponte and Andy Poole have been hard at work transforming the space and expanding into the former barber shop next door. After just under a year of laboring on the building and compiling the necessary permits and licensing, the co-owners have set an October 10 opening date for Apothecary Brewing Co.—Delaware’s newest craft brewery.
Ponte and Poole have more than three decades of home-brewing experience between them. With Ponte’s background in professional brewing and Poole’s business development experience, they’re an ideal team to take on the task of bringing a new craft brewery to the First State.
“About three years ago, we started kicking the idea around,” Ponte says. With a years-long friendship at the foundation of the partnership and a shared passion for community engagement and craft brewing, opening a brewery together just made sense.
Last year, Poole learned of the vacant brewery space in Claymont and made the inquiry. Soon after, Apothecary Brewing Co. was born, and the men got to work.
Along with the space that once housed Hangman Brewing, the partners purchased the space next door, adding an interior doorway to connect the two. Those familiar with the tasting room that previously occupied the space will notice the large corner stage has been torn out, making room for more seating.
In the stage’s stead, Poole and Ponte built a smaller stage into the new room that was once the next-door barber shop—now an event space with its own private restroom and sliding barn door access to the main tasting room. Along with private event rentals, the partners also plan to use the former barber shop to host Quizzo nights, karaoke, and live bands.
“The stage can easily hold a three- or four-piece band,” Ponte says. The team has already installed stage lights and placed an in-house drum kit in the back corner.
“That was a recommendation from a musician friend of ours,” Poole explains. The drum kit will hurry along the setup and tear-down process for bands, especially on days with multiple bands playing.
Apothecary Brewing Co. also features updated aesthetics behind the bar, with wooden fixtures and decorative apothecary drawer covers, leaning into the theme. The partners plan to hold a contest to help “name” the medicine drawers. They hope the contest will engage new customers while also inspiring fun and creative labels for each drawer cover.
Also in the interest of community engagement, Apothecary Brewing Co. will display a gallery of local artwork on a rotating basis. This will give local artists a chance to gain exposure and even sell work right off the wall of the main tasting room.
In line with the apothecary theme, “The Cure for What Ales Ya” alludes to the real star of the show—the beer.
“We want to keep the focus on the local community, so our four house beers are named after things in the area,” Poole says.
First on the lineup is the Claymont Cream Ale, a light-bodied, malt-forward pale ale with a 4.9% ABV. The Arch-Bier Amber Ale is named for the school Poole attended as a child. The rich and malty brew with notes of toasted caramel comes in at 5.5%, the strongest of the house beers. The Philadelphia Pike Pale Ale is a medium-bodied ale with crisp notes of citrus and hops and a 5.3% ABV. For lovers of the dark stuff, the Stone School Stout is a 4.5% stout with bold chocolate, coffee, and caramel notes. Along with the house beers, Apothecary Brewing Co. will also brew up a variety of seasonal beers throughout the year.
Beer won’t be the only libation available. Along with brews from other Delaware breweries, Apothecary Brewing Co. plans to carry a selection of cider, well drinks, and even local mead.
“We want this to be a place where people can come and see something that they tried somewhere else,” Poole explains, “whether that’s another brewery in the area or down at the beaches.” For the owners, it’s all about building community and making the local craft brew scene more connected and accessible.
The opening is set for Friday, October 10, with a full weekend of craft brews, live entertainment, and good company in store. After the initial opening, the planned business hours are Wednesday to Thursday 4 p.m. to midnight and Friday to Sunday noon to midnight.
Want a preview of the beer before October? Apothecary Brewing Co. will be pouring at the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science’s event on September 21.