APOTHECARY BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

CLAYMONT, DELAWARE

At the Town And Country Shopping Center in Claymont (just outside Wilmington), APOTHECARY BREWING COMPANY took over Hangman Brewery’s former space October 2025. Long time homebrewers John Ponte and Andy Poole craft well rounded fare for the community-focused pub that hosts local talent at its small stage and features an art gallery.

In a mustard yellow side shop, the rustic white-walled, cement-floored, brown aluminum-ceilinged mill opens up to a bark-laden bar with three draught boards (offering 20-plus taps). There are several chaired tables and TV’s at all sides.

During a bustling chili cookoff on a Sunday in February ’26, my wife and I stand at the bar and try four fine draughts amongst the standing room only crowd. We missed out on caramelized Greazed Scotsman Scottish Ale, juicy-fruited In Between Haze IPA, citric Philadelphia Pike Pale Ale and Arch-Bier Amber Ale. Ciders and meads were also available.

Crisply clean pale-cleared flagship, Claymont Cream Ale, placed corn-sugared sweet beading across grassy hop astringency and herbal whims.

Soft-toned, flattish Cupid’s Arrow Blonde Ale stayed mild as tart passionfruit and hibiscus adjuncts picked up floral-daubed kuzu lemon, mandarin orange and tangerine snips.

On the dark side were two robustly full bodied enchanters.

Dry medium-roast coffee nuttiness consumed The Queen Is Dead English Porter, leaving dark chocolate bittering on its wood-burnt hop char.

On the sweet side, Stone School Stout, an Apothecary staple, combined caramelized nuttiness with roasted chocolate, creamy vanilla and milk-sugared coffee tones.

SINEPUXENT BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

BERLIN, MARYLAND

On a rustic farm inside an old wooden-floored barnhouse, Berlin’s unapologetically rural SINEPUXENT BREWING COMPANY came to life in 2020. A certified Maryland farmhouse brewery one mile southwest of Burley Oak Brewing, Sinepuxent’s expansive agrarian territory includes picnic-tabled side deck, planted fruits, hop vines and goats plus a glimmering side-walled blue tile mosaic.

The smallish cabinesque interior features a bark-fronted wood top bar with a few four-seaters and wood-tabled aluminum chairs. Endless beer stickers line the walls and olden wood beams. A centralized refrigerator contains beers-to-go while flatbread pizzas and snacks prove pub-worthy.

Head brewer Matt Kansak joined me and the wife buried eight dandy suds on a windy Thursday afternoon, February ’26.

Placing dark-spiced lemony grapefruit tanginess across musky grain-husked rye breading, Rye-PA Pale Ale picked up a mild herbal nip at the citric-laced finish.

Lightly sea-salted oyster shells gave Werster Erster Saison its buttery umami frontage before strawberry rhubarb tartness, Chardonnay buttering, banana bubblegum and sweet orange peel gathered at its dry peppery barnyard base.

Abbey-styled Belgian Dubbel retained caramelized dry rum spicing as subtle pear, banana and vanilla illusions slowly emerged.

Candied strawberry powdering sweetened almond and coconut toasted macaron knockoff, Strawberry Macaron with Almond IPA, a berry-fortified IPA offshoot with stylish piney grapefruit bittering and orange peel zesting merely backdrop.

Wintry cinnamon-toasted nutmeg, allspice and clove saddled Disgourd Pumpkin Ale, tucking bourbon vanilla inside its pumpkin-spiced finish.

Disguising its pumpkin pie spicing with Buffalo Trace bourbon, Barrel-Aged Disgourd Pumpkin Ale sunk earthen gourd into mild orange oiling and oaken vanilla at the dewy peated whiskey base.

English-styled Pony Kick Porter let roasted Costa Rican and Peruvian coffee sway dark chocolate, espresso, vanilla, coconut and coffee cake subsidies.

Brown chocolate-spiced bourbon molasses saturated exquisite Barleywine, leaving butternut, chestnut and almond flirtations on its sweet mocha-induced spirits.

BERLIN BEER COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

BERLIN, MARYLAND

At a renovated freight train station and feed store in a historic Delmarva downtown, BERLIN BEER COMPANY opened September ’24 (one mile down the road from Burley Brewing). A homebrewer since 2013, owner Adam Davis mans the windowed brew tanks at this rustic aluminum Industrial shed.

There’s a hanging silo and green Berlin Beer Company sign welcoming patrons to the daintily warm and elegant hearth-walled pub. Inside, olden wood beams, original wood floors, Edison-lighted chandelier, barn doors and the oak top bar get displayed below the slanted ceiling. Four-seat tables surrounded the U-shaped bar (with central tap station and a few TV’s). A 50-seat dining room, patioed biergarden and wood porch add further seating.

“Elevated street food” got served alongside five well rounded home brews on my late February ’26 venture.

Spritzy lemon fizz tickled the nose for herbal Saphir-hopped light lager, Lawn Chair, a crisply sessionable pilsner-malted opener.

Flagship New England IPA, Green Suede Shoes, let salty lemony grapefruit and lightly embittered orange rind reach mild oats base in brisk Citra-Mosaic double dry-hopped setting.

A stronger 9.4% ABV NEIPA, Berlin Fog, caressed lemony grapefruit, pineapple and orange rind bittering with pungent pine bluster over creamy vanilla-sugared oated wheat base, gaining fruited vodka, dry rum and candied peach whims.

Brown-sugared peach puree anchored cinnamon-sweetened fruited sour, Ad Libs Peach Cobbler Cinnamon Toast, leaving Fruity Pebbles, limey pina colada and zesty marinade illusions on the tartly tangy peach frontage.

On the dark side, syrupy black chocolate and dark coffee resin swiped nut-charred Forgotten Porter, picking up thin pudding skin crusting.

FIN CITY BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND

Originally operating inside Hooper’s Crab House, FIN CITY BREWING COMPANY moved within walking distance to West Ocean Beach’s Westside Square Plaza, May 2024. Crafting a decent variety of mostly straightforward small-batch fare, the small taproom celebrates Ocean City’s fishing heritage while faring well as a local sportsbar.

A blue-tiled oak top bar (with ten stools and twelve draughts) captures the eye with its simple elegance. Small wood tables, cornered TV’s, exposed pipes and aluminum-ceilinged hanging lights furnish the barroom. A rear nano setup contains the liquid suds. I grabbed a pint o’ pilsner and a mug of stout on my three-day Ocean City venture.

I took home several Fin City canned brews (reviewed in Beer Index) before heading out at nightfall on a Friday in late February ’26.

Honeyed cereal grain sweetness welcomed delicate German pilsner, Pure Lure, letting sugar cookie and lemon cookie confections reach lightly spiced hop pep.

Semi-rich dessert stout, German Chocolate Cake, placed confectionery coconut-pecan frosting inside brown-sugared dark chocolate fudging, picking up black cherry nuances.