Historically, North Reading hasn’t been known as a medicinal hub, where people would come from far and wide seeking remedies for bad health; the town’s biggest claims to fame are mostly shoes and apples. But just six-and-a-half miles away in Wilmington, once upon another period, farmers cultivated the bulk of the United States’ hops, so it’s only proper that North Reading today is home to one of the state’s newest breweries: Hopothecary Ales, founded by brothers Mike and Steve Gabardi in 2019 and in full operation as of late 2021.
“I don’t know if there were a lot of medical establishments or apothecaries around this area, back in the day,” says Kevin McComiskey, Hopothecary’s brewmaster and one of its founding brewers, “the day” being the 1700s. “But all the hops were grown right
