On Friday, January 27, 2012, 16 Mile Brewing Company will unveil their new tavern, which has just been completed at their Georgetown location. The tavern is designed to offer the feel of an old English tavern, offering a look back in the history that the brewery is built on. The public is invited to attend this much anticipated event. The tavern design is steeped in history, from the brick wall which houses a gas fireplace to the bar top created from a Millsboro oak tree that still has bullets imbedded in the wood. They brewery plans to offer the on-site kitchen for local chefs to highlight signature recipes on occasion.
History
16 Mile is steeped in history and is the brainchild of Brett McCrea and Chad Campbell, two men who were born and raised in the Georgetown area. After attending college, the men returned to Georgetown after working in the high-paced Washington DC area. Using a 100-year old barn located on land owned by Brett’s family, they began brewing a craft beer with a local flavor. The name 16 Mile comes from the story of the Sussex county seat. Initially, the county seat was located in Lewes, one of Delaware’s beach resorts. As people moved from the beach area for agriculture, or to provide timber for the shipbuilding industry, travelling to Lewes for county business became difficult. A referendum named Georgetown the county seat because the town is “within 16 miles of every town in Sussex County.”
Local Beer
16 Mile Brewing Company intends to remain a local beer. Available in Delaware, Maryland, southern New Jersey and a small area in Pennsylvania, and the company does not intend to expand any further. 16 Mile’s goal is to only be available locally, giving beach visitors a unique flavor they can only find here. Currently, the brewery produces approximately 2500 barrels per year and has a goal to reach 25,000 barrels in the next three to five years, and not grow larger than 30,000. The company strives to create big, bold flavors that offer a great drinking beer. Using English malts and yeast strains, the beers are brewed in an All American craft style.
Brands
One of the most interesting facts about 16 Mile is that each beer named in honor of a Delaware landmark or with historical significance to the state. Blues Golden, available in six-packs and draft is the brewery’s number one seller and is a golden style ale names as a tribute to the Blues Battalion. This band of Delaware natives fought in almost every battle of the Revolutionary War, sometimes running from one battle to the next. Amber Sun is an amber style ale with a caramel and roasted flavor. This brew gets its name from the only location on Delmarva where a sunset is visible over the water, the jetty where the Lewes Lighthouse is located. Inlet IPA, an India Pale Ale is named after the Indian River Inlet and Old Court, a dark pale ale, is named after the original Georgetown courthouse which is still standing and open for visitors.
Collaboration Brews for a Good Cause
Periodically, 16 Mile plans to create specialty brews, which will only be available in small keg (15-barrel) batches. $5 for every keg sold will be donated to specific charity. The first of these brews, Responders Ale, is currently available at the Tavern and on brewery tours. An American Session Ale, Responders Ale has a 4.1% alcohol content, lower than the 6% average of 16 Mile’s other beers. Originally produced for the Georgetown Fire Hall’s Annual Oyster Eat, the brewery initially intended to offer the beer only at the brewery and for special events. However, after the positive response from the public regarding the beer, the company decided to launch a bottle version, which will be available March 1 in Delaware and in April in other markets. $3 of every case and $5 of every keg sold will be donated to the Fallen Firefighters Association. The brew will be available on tap at the Tavern opening on Friday, January 27.
Delaware heritage and history is present throughout the brewery, from the brewing equipment to the tavern. The company is proud of the fact that both of the owners, Brett and Chad, touch every bottle that leaves the brewery. There is still clear evidence of the 100-year old barn that houses the brewery, and even the keg taps reflect the history of the state. Each tap has a unique brick design retaining the history of brick buildings and homes in Sussex County. For more information on the brewery or to take a tour of the facility, visit them online.
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