From Craft Beers to Scratch Kitchen

Fenwick’s began as Fenwick Farms Brewing Company in 2017, founded by Ron Fenwick, Sam Yacko, and Kenny VanHouten.

Back then, we were a tiny nano-brewery with a love for variety — constantly changing what we brewed and served. While a few mainstay beers found their way onto the menu, rotation and seasonality were always part of our DNA.

Not long after opening, we started serving a small food menu made up entirely of recipes from our wives’ and moms’ cookbooks. When the building next door came up for sale, we jumped at the chance. That space became our family dining area — and, with it, a full kitchen. We grew from a nano-brewery to small brewpub, quickly becoming the local hangout for good food, craft beer, and live music. As our fan base expanded, so did our brewing operation. We went from 8 taps to 15, and our brews became a true centerpiece of the community.

Then came COVID. Like everyone else, we faced uncertainty — but our community stood by us. Their support kept us going, and we doubled down, building a new brewhouse (the red barn behind the restaurant) and even launching a distillery arm to produce our own spirits.

When Indiana lawmakers made changes to help small breweries survive, it was a lifeline. But over time, those same rules gave the “big guys” an advantage we couldn’t match. Distribution shifted from “we’re excited to help you grow” to “call us when you’re already big enough.” Competing at that level meant refrigerated trucks, sales teams, and full-scale logistics — and in 2024, we made the bittersweet decision to stop brewing our own beer.

Today, Fenwick’s is still rooted in the same philosophies we started with: be part of the community, keep things fresh, and value relationships. We now offer 32 curated taps (the most in NW Indiana!), batch all of our cocktails from scratch with fresh ingredients and premium spirits, and rotate our food menu seasonally to keep things exciting.

We’ve learned that growth isn’t always a straight line — and we’re okay with that. Fenwick’s is still here, still evolving, and still a place where friends, neighbors, and visitors come to share good food, great drinks, and the kind of stories that keep a community strong.