Jon, who has been experimenting with different flavors and methods of brewing for 33 years, said the process of starting a brewing business started in 1992 after his first good brown ale homebrew.
“After going to Ohio Brew week in Athens in 2012 and visiting Jackie O’s, I realized that a brewery could offer a variety of products, be quirky, and be successful,” he said.
Jon grew up in Enon, went to Greenon Local Schools and moved away after graduation because he “needed to see the world,” he said.
He later met his wife, Shelley, and they lived in Raleigh/Durham for 10 years.
While there, Jon started homebrewing and learned about the hardwood flooring trade before moving states and joining homebrew clubs.
“Like many homebrewers, when I had a good batch, I would think, ‘This is good, I could sell this,’” he said.
In 2007, the couple moved back to Enon to be closer to Jon’s parents. They remodeled a house, and he started a wood flooring business for the fourth time.
While there, they became friends with a neighbor who was renting the old house at 160 N. Xenia Drive. The two bought the property and continued to rent it out until they started developing plans for the brewery.
“I have been looking at properties to make into a brewery since 2010. I have looked at a lot of Springfield Foundation properties, as well as one on Water Street that was one of the first breweries in Ohio,” Jon said. “In the end, we decided to use the Enon property because of its location less than one mile off Interstate 70, and we already owned the property.”
In 2014, Jon started giving tours at Yellow Springs Brewery and working in the taproom. later started canning beer and moved into the cellar position and then a brewer position.
Jon said they wanted to save the old structure, but that would have been complicated and expensive, so they are building new but keeping parts of it, such as the timber frame and stone.
Having a new building means they are up to code and there are fewer hurdles to jump through. However, there were still some challenges. Jon said the next door neighbor was looking to sell their property, so that set them back about year while they bought it, combined lots, did a new survey and new plans.
The brewery and taproom building is about 3,000 square feet, and the patio will be over 3,000 square feet. There will be 23 parking spaces for cars, one of which is for those with disabilities, at least one for EV charging and four motorcycle parking spaces.
Vanderglas will produce their own beer and lagers, and have applied for a liquor and wine license to have wine, cider and meads.
Along with beers, they will offer snacks, an area along North Harrison that’s a loading zone/food truck area, and power and water spicket for the food trucks to use.
The hope is to open sometime this fall. Starting out, hours will be 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
For more information and updates, visit the New Enon Brewing Facebook page or newenonbrewing.com.
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