04 Jun Kekionga Craft Will Celebrate Four Years With a Big Day and Big Plans
by Mark E. Lasbury for Indiana On Tap
It’s hard to believe, but Kekionga Craft Company in Fort Wayne is getting ready to celebrate four years in business on Saturday, June 12. From their beginnings with one brother’s tree and a cousin’s basket press, Kekionga has grown into a cider/mead/wine force to be reckoned with in northeast Indiana.
I talked to Tyler Butcher, one of the owners of Kekionga about their past, their future and their upcoming 4th Anniversary Celebration. He expressed to me the deep thanks he has for their patrons and their continued growth. He said, “After 4 years, we are still blown away by the support that Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana has given us. We are thankful every day that we get to pursue a passion of ours. It is a great feeling to see others enjoy themselves at out facility or enjoy our product with their friends and family.”
image credit: Kekionga Craft
Kekionga’s tasting room is located in the Goeglein Mill at 7328 Maysville Rd, Fort Wayne, and shares space with Lucille’s BBQ and Cider Butts, a distinct brand of BBQ under the Lucille’ name. They have up to 14 ciders on tap at any one time, and host many live music and other events on a weekly and monthly basis. In 2019-2020 they put in a great patio and garden with fire, pits, so you can continue your fun into the night under starry skies. Tyler noted, “We pride ourselves on having a warm, inviting atmosphere where people can relax and converse amongst themselves.”
Their attention to their customers and to their atmosphere has resulted in lots of growth over these four years, but Kekionga is hardly satisfied with the status quo. Tyler told me, “We will continue to push the envelope on what a modern cider can be as well as continue to gain experience with traditional style cider apples. Our focus has also expanded to incorporate more mead and wine in the future.”
image credit: Kekionga Craft
So how do you celebrate four years of great cider, wine, and mead? Here’s how – you pour product for your customers from noon ’til late into the night. This free event will be held in and around the tasting room at Goeglein Mill, with many ciders, an exclusive mead, guest beers, and at least eight house-made wines.
There will be food from Cider Butts BBQ – can you think of a better combination than cider and BBQ? Kekionga will be holding giveaways all day, and they will have live music in the evening. The weather is supposed to be great that day, so what better way to spend an afternoon and evening could there possibly be?
Come out to help Tyler and Logan look back with pride on four years well done, and to celebrate all the possibilities for the future of Kekionga Craft. As Tyler says, “We’re thankful for the local support as that will fuel our future growth to expand outside our Northeast Indiana footprint.” Big things are coming from small beginnings, and Kekionga is ready to take their product and philosophy on the road.
banner image credit: Fort Wayne Brews
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