16 Mile was a brewery that opened its doors to the public in 2009, in Georgetown, DE. It was owned and operated by Brett McCrea and Chad Campbell. 16 Mile was one of the first breweries to come to Delaware and the first one to close since 1998. It got its name because way back in the day (1700's) that part of town was "16 miles from anywhere"
The location definitely matched the brewery's name. It was located on a back road in the outskirts of town. Christian and I went to 16 Mile one Saturday in mid-August. When we first pulled up, we noticed an event taking place in their field next to the parking lot. There was live music, food trucks and moon bounces - clearly they were family friendly. The parking lot was large and offered plenty of spots.
Walking towards the brewery, we noticed a food truck, Nothing Better - they served $5 fried pickles that were amazing, highly recommend! When we got inside, we grabbed some seats at the bar. It was very spacious and offered plenty of seating. The beertender was super friendly and attentive while also making sure that everyone was being taken are of.
The atmosphere and decor were lovely. The brewery gave you a real home-y feel. They had a decent sized selection of merchandise and apparel as well. 16 Mile also had beer fridges that offered select beers in 6-packs. They had a nice selection of beer on tap so we decided to get a flight - as usual! We really enjoyed our one and only time at 16 Mile.
The brewery shut its doors forever on September 23, 2018. Reasons for closure are still VERY unclear while the owners kept giving 'no comment' remarks. A lot of customers and locals think they closed because the brewery wasn't able to keep up with the quick-changing trends in the craft beer world. In my opinion, I think the owners were too overwhelmed and the indecisiveness of the them and the direction of the brewery were highly unclear causing them to shut down.
It's not uncommon for a craft brewery to shut down because it's unable to keep up with the trend. It's a tough, tough business with a lot of competition. In order to succeed, you need to be able to stand out and offer something that your competitors do not. 16 Mile had a basic design, basic logo, basic look while only offering one specific type of beer - ales. Now, don't get me wrong, their beer was GOOOOOD, but they didn't really have something unique that helped them stand out.
As sad as it was to hear the news of 16 Mile shutting down, I'm glad to say that I was able to have a beersperience here.
That being said, here is my rating:
Atmosphere - ★★★★★ - The atmosphere at 16 Mile was home-y. You get the feeling that you can go there whenever. Whether it's to grab a nice cold one after a long day or to meet up with some friends on the weekend.
Beer - ★★★★ - They offered a nice selection of different ales. They all had a unique flavor but it's a shame they only have on type of beer. I do have a 6 pack of the watermelon ale for the days I reminisce.
Employees - ★★★★ - The beertender was nice and friendly. She did a fantastic job making sure that every customer was satisfied and happy.
Location - ★★★★ - The location was a bit out of the way, located on a back road on the outskirts of town. However, it was nice driving there and seeing the scenery.
Social Media - Unfortunately, I never really looked at their different platforms before they closed and now it's way too late so I'm just going to take this out of my star rating.
Total: 4.25 STARS!
Cheers!!
Comments