DEFIANCE, Ohio — A building once a local favorite for beers and a good time, 4KD Crick Brewery in Defiance is now a structure with water-damaged walls and dust-covered floors.
This all stems from a fire that occurred on June 26.
"It's just sad," said Krista Alvarado, the taproom manager for 4KD Crick Brewery. "I think about a lot of our regulars; this building means a lot to a lot of people."
According to the report from the Defiance Fire Department, at 6:04 a.m. firefighters were sent out to Eagle Rock Golf Club on Carpenter Road, where the brewery is located.
The exact cause of the fire is unknown, but the report shared that it originated in a "cooking area, kitchen."
Thankfully no people were injured but the damages, according to General Manager Aaron Weible, are a total loss, with the report estimating around $8,000 between property and content losses.
"I was still laying in bed, but not by my phone," said Weible. "I got up and had about five missed phone calls, and when I was returning one, I'm getting pounded on by the Defiance City Police, who were at my door to let me know that the brewery had a fire."
According to Weible, the estimated closure will last months as the brewery now has to install a new brewing system, all while transitioning to a new building next door.
"We've already been estimated to be about four to six months just to buy a new brewery system and get it built can be about six months, so I'm figuring it's unfortunately going to be after the first of the year before we're even open," said Weible.
4KD Crick Brewery is one of two in Defiance County, and the only one in the city of Defiance.
Open for eight years, it's a building that employees say brought smiles and a good time to those who used it.
"I know a lot of people have already been sad about the building closing, or not being a taproom anymore, so for me to know that they're not going to get that closure just made me sad for them," said Alvarado.
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