PATRICK & BETH DOWNING
Owners, GlenPharmer Distillery

Patrick and Beth Downing’s story of a shared chemistry began when they met as pharmacy school students at Purdue University in Beth’s native Indiana. Now, they divide their time between pharmacy careers and chemistry of a different kind as owners of GlenPharmer Distillery. What began as Pat’s love of whisky became a business venture for the couple, with a growing collection of award-winning spirits.

“I guess you could say that our interests have always driven our success. We are both dedicated to our careers in pharmacy and, with GlenPharmer, we’ve discovered a shared passion for creating the highest quality spirits. We have an amazing team who work tirelessly to engage our guests in an immersive experience in our tasting room and restaurant, where we pair our spirits, hand-crafted artisan cocktails, and a delicious chef-inspired menu,” Pat said.

Upon graduation from Purdue University School of Pharmacy, the Downings moved to Pat’s hometown of Lee, Massachusetts and took over operation of Pat’s father’s pharmacy, McClelland Drug Store, notable for being the oldest continuously operated pharmacy in the state. Together, they owned and operated McClelland and its related healthcare businesses, for 14 years. After Pat achieved a graduate degree from Columbia Business School, they sold McClelland and moved on to the next phases of their careers: Pat to a major pharmacy services company and subsequently to help small pharmacy services companies that were underperforming. Beth to home infusion pharmacy, where she became board certified in nutrition support pharmacy.

Discussions about opening a distillery seemed to be more dream than reality, but when an original mill building in their residence of Franklin, Massachusetts serendipitously went up for sale, it was the sign they needed. Pat had just completed a program at Moonshine University in Louisville, Kentucky, and together Pat and Beth toured more than 100 distilleries around the nation and internationally. The Downings opened GlenPharmer Distillery to the public in May 2020, naming their new business after the mill’s idyllic location in the Mine Brook Glen and the historic role of farmers in their Farmer Distillery License, with a “Ph” as a special nod to pharmacy.

Within its first year of operation, the couple’s distilling team has built an award-winning collection of thirteen spirits. GlenPharmer Distillery is host to a 200-seat tasting room/restaurant and a 7,000 sq. ft. event space, where they host weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations. GlenPharmer also offers tours and tastings of their grain-to-glass production process. When not at “work”, Patrick & Beth enjoy traveling.