Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. made it offical today that it has chosen a site in western North Carolina for the future home of an east coast brewery. The site, approximately 90 acres in the Henderson County town of Mills River – 12 miles south of Asheville – will be home to the new production facility, as well as a proposed restaurant and gift shop.
“We are thrilled to have found an ideal location in western North Carolina for our second brewery,” founder Ken Grossman said for a press release. “The beer culture, water quality and quality of life are excellent. We feel lucky to be a part of this community.”
The east coast brewery will start with a capacity around 300,000 barrels, with room to grow.
Sierra Nevada began the search for a new location several years ago. The brewery looked at hundreds of potential sites, eventually narrowing the search down to a handful of locations.
Sierra Nevada’s eastern brewery site is expected to employ approximately 90 workers, with additional staff in the restaurant to follow. The brewery anticipates being operational by early 2014.
I love Sierra Nevada…especially being from the actual Sierran NV area. Hopefully they can brand back east and gain a following.