Meet Nick Sheets

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Sheets.

Hi Nick, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Craft beer has been a long-time interest for me ever since I visited my first “micro” brewery up in Vermont probably 20 years ago or since making my first batch of homebrew with my cousin in his kitchen. Since that first visit microbrewery experience and almost every one since then, the dream of owning and operating a brewery has always been something I wanted to do.

For many years this dream was, well only a dream that didn’t seem possible or attainable. It was put on the back burner as I played it a little more conservatively, took a typical career path, and just did other things in life. But it, the dream, was always there. When my family’s farmland became available, I dusted off an old brewery business plan shifted it to a rural setting, and then pitched the idea to the other owners of our land/farm (siblings & aunt) and went to work.

From early 2018 we went from the vision in my head to paper, to building permits, to breaking ground, then finally opening in July 2021. Shifting to why I chose our location. It’s simple, the land that “Henmick Farm & Brewery” sits on has been in my family for 4 generations. We haven’t actively farmed the land since I was in high school (I’m 47) and we have rented our acreage to the same local farm family and friends since.

I think our small family farm went the same way many have, for whatever reason, a difficult decision was made to stop farming and either sell it or lease it out to someone else. Fast-forward to more recent years, the thought of selling the land or it not being in the Sheets family has been a concern and has weighed heavily on my mind for some time.

How can we keep this in the family for generations to come? Every generation has sacrificed, maybe taken some calculated risks, and reinvested in the land with always having the next generation in mind. Well, it was my generation’s turn. And, not only are we reinvesting in the land, but we are completely reinventing it.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Anytime you decide to start a business, there are always hurdles or struggles that you must overcome. You have to take risks and sacrifice. The old saying is very true – if it was easy, everyone would do it. Our first struggle was right in the middle of constructing our facility. The pandemic hit and many businesses like the one I was trying to open were shut down. After shutting down construction for about a month to weigh my options, I decided to move forward.

Fortunately, we opened in July 2021, one month after the state lifted all pandemic restrictions. I think the biggest hurdle was not knowing for sure if our concept would work. I always felt the concept would work, but you never know for sure and you always second guess if you are doing the right thing. I mean, I was literally “betting the farm.” The concept is more prevalent for wineries and there are more rural setting breweries in areas of New England, but not many in Ohio.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Humbled. If I had one word to describe how I feel after being open for one year, this is it. I’m humbled by the response from our guests and how they’ve decided to make Henmick a part of their life, a place to celebrate with friends and family, enjoy a date night, hang out or meet up with your pals—a place to gather. That was my goal and vision for Henmick when we set out to reinvent our small family farm, to honor those who came before us, celebrate fellowship and share the place I love the most with the public.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.henmick.com
• Instagram: @henmickfarmbrewery
• Facebook: @henmickfarmbrewery