Holtkamp Winery Owners Purchase Great Crescent Brewery

The purchase includes branding, beer recipes and equipment.

File photo.

(Sunman, Ind.) - It was a year ago in September when Great Crescent Brewery permanently closed their doors in Aurora. 

The brand is making a comeback under new ownership. 

Doug and Julie Holtkamp, of Holtkamp Winery and Vineyards, have acquired the Great Crescent Brewery brand, beer recipes, and equipment from previous owner, Dan Valas. 

Valas operated Great Cresent Brewery on Importing Street in Aurora for the better part of two decades. He decided to close and move forward with another project following a cancer diagnosis. Valas currently operates the Aurora Marketplace in the old brewery building along Mechanic Street. 

RELATED: Great Crescent Brewery Permanently Closes, Plans for Grocery Store in the Works

The Holtkamps will be moving the brewery to the winery. An addition at the winery will be used for the taproom. A production facility will be built across the street. 

Doug Holtkamp tells Eagle Country 99.3 that building materials are expected to arrive soon, maybe as early as this week. However, there is no timeline for completion of the production facility. 

"I am super excited to start a brewery," said Holtkamp. "There is a market for it. The wine drinkers bring beer drinkers. Starting a brewery is a no brainer."

He added that the most common question he gets is "what beers are you going to make?"

The answer is "all of them" but over time. 

"We are not going to rush to have 10 or 12 beers out of the gate. The beers will be available when they are awesome," said Holtkamp. 

Currently, there is no brewmaster for Holtkamp's Great Crescent Brewery, but Holtkamp says Valas is going to help get recipes dialed in. Another former Great Crescent Brewery employee is going to help get things started too. 

Other future plans for Holtkamp include a mobile unit that will serve beer and wine, and maybe pizza.