ABOUT US

Our mission is to offer the highest-quality beer using the best locally-sourced ingredients, served in a casual and fun environment, with our guest experience being our primary focus. Our goal is to provide our customers a bespoke blend of the bank’s history with the latest in craft beer. Our staff, knowledgeable in both the town’s history and artisanal beers will provide a premier experience for all customers who enter our establishment, enjoy our beer, or engage with our brand, creating a subculture capable of revitalizing Woodstown. Thus creating a customer will recommend us to others and return often.

Our purpose is to serve the greater community of Woodstown and bring all people together, while delivering great beer in a friendly, yet attentive manner supported by a relaxed atmosphere that is the perfect setting for any occasion. We will strive operate in an environmentally conscious and sustainable manner using the best practices available.

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Farmers and Bankers Brewing is the centerpiece of downtown Woodstown, NJ at the major thoroughfare of Rt.45/40, occupying the historic First National Bank of Woodstown, built in 1892.

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MEET THE OWNERS: MIKE & REBECCA MELNICZUK

Rebecca and Michael Melniczuk live in Pilesgrove, NJ, with their kids Matthew and Sarah. An engineer by trade, Mike left the corporate world to pursue his entrepreneurial dream of opening a small business and combined that with his love for craft beer. His wife Rebecca is a physical therapist at Woodstown Physical Therapy and serves as the brewery Tap Room Director. As an antique enthusiast, Mike was captivated by the architecture and history of the First National Bank building which has been an iconic landmark and focal point of downtown Woodstown for 130 years. After being vacant for 12 years, in August 2021, Mike and Rebecca purchased the building and together, with support from family, friends and the community, they started on a 10-month journey to renovate the space and create Farmers & Bankers Brewing. With 20 years of experience in manufacturing for large corporations and mechanical skills learned as a kid working with his Dad, the brewery was one big engineering project that Mike prepared for his whole life. With an eye for interior design, Rebecca created a modern-rustic design for the tap room which embraces the history of both the town and the bank. The couple has more big plans in mind for the space and the business, so stay tuned for more to come!

Some more fun facts about Farmers & Bankers Brewing

You bought the bank in town?! WHY?

Rebecca and Michael Melniczuk moved to Pilesgrove, NJ in 2009. An engineer by trade and lover of history, Mike has always loved the look of the building and wanted to do ‘something’ with it.

A brewery - that’s cool! Why a brewery?

Why not?! I think it’s one of the things missing from our area. We love the Woodstown-Pilesgrove community but it hasn’t changed much over the years. We’ve watched Pitman and Glassboro and, most recently, Swedesboro get involved in the craft beer scene and we believe Woodstown will make a great addition to the craft brew community. We love good beer! Even more so, we love to share good beer with our friends. We can’t wait to pour you a pint!

Okay, but I don’t really love beer. Will you have wine or liquor?

New Jersey is pretty particular about their alcohol service laws. Unfortunately, we can only serve products we brew. We plan to make our own seltzers and sodas as well. One of the exciting things about the craft beer industry is the variety of flavors and styles; fruited, sours, aged in bourbon barrels. There are so many opportunities for us to try new recipes which will allow us to provide a wide-range of great tasting beverages to share with you.

What about the old vaults? Are you getting rid of them?

Nope! First of all, they are super heavy. Second, we love the way they look! We’ll incorporate them into the new design.

Who is going to brew your beer?

The ‘other’ Mike will be the brewer. Michael Duva is also a Pilesgrove resident and has been homebrewing since 2013. He’s been testing out recipes and is working on scaling up so we can fill your cups when the time comes.

Tell us about your brewing system?

We know not everyone cares about the equipment, but for those who do, we are brewing on a 5-barrel system that will allow us to make 150 gallons of beer at a time. We can have 6 different beers fermenting at a time. We have to give a quick nod to Buffalo Brewing Company from whom we purchased the brewing equipment. Owner John Domres was a big help and we love that the equipment comes to us with a history of making good beer. If you find yourself in Buffalo, NY, go tell John how hard his equipment is working down here in NJ.

How many beers will you serve? What kind of beers

Our initial line-up will include all the regulars: Pilsner, IPA, Stout, Wheat, Pale Ale. Of course, we’ll put our own spin on them all and we know you’ll find one (or several!) that you love.

Can I buy your beers anywhere else?

Eventually, YES! We do have plans to can our beers for carry-out and look forward to bringing our brews to local restaurants and liquor stores.

The renovation looks great! What are you doing with the original First National Bank space next door

Phase 2! In the main building, we knew we needed a clean slate for the tap house and brewery area. While we re-used a lot of materials, we took the building down to the studs before converting it into the taphouse you see today. Our goal in the 1892 space is to keep more of the historic character. We’re still figuring out the final design, but we envision it being a private event space.