16 Mile closes its doors
After nearly 10 years serving finely crafted ales to the Cape Region, 16 Mile Brewery in Georgetown closed its doors Sept. 23.
The occasion was marked, appropriately, with a makeshift headstone in front of the brewery’s entrance sign, and a sign on the door informing people of the closure.
Speculation had been rampant heading into the weekend that the brewery was going to close, but staff and owner Brett McCrea were tight-lipped on the subject. McCrea did not respond to requests for comment.
The brewery’s Facebook page was deleted about Sept. 20 and the company website went down Sept. 21. While McCrea himself has not said publicly why the brewery closed, speculation online was that McCrea no longer wanted to operate the business.
Eric Williams, owner of Mispillion River Brewing in Milford said, “It is always sad when a small business closes for any reason, but it hit home a little more when it's a fellow brewer. We wish everyone from 16 Mile the best of luck.”
Kevin Thompson, director of operations for the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, said, “We’re sad to see a local business, a prominent local business, close. They’ve been a big part of Georgetown over the last nine years.”
He said he did not have any indication as to why the brewery closed. Thompson said he hopes the town will attract another brewery or brewpub to the location, as it serves as a prominent attraction to get people to stop in Georgetown on their way to the beach.
