US, TN: Blues City Brewery resumes beer production in Memphis after years

Large amounts of beer are brewing again for the first time in years in the huge plant at Blues City Brewery, Memphis, The Commercial Appeal reported on July, 29.

Less than three months after sealing its purchase of the old Coors plant in Hickory Hill, City Brewing - doing business in Memphis as Blues City Brewery - began making "neutral malt base brews" last week, according to President George Parke.

“That's beer stripped of its color and odor. It's used in fermented malt beverages like Zima,” Parke said.

The facility's first alcoholic beverages are being produced and are now fermenting, but have not yet been packaged.

"We'll be packaging for real customers within a week," Parke said.

In addition to brewing the alcoholic beverage, City Brewing also has been preparing to package non-alcoholic products on different canning lines. The company produces teas and energy drinks.

"Things are starting to ramp up," Parke said.

"The equipment hasn't been running in a long time. Everything is a surprise. But we're making progress every day,” he added.

City Brewing bought the 40-year-old facility from Hardy Bottling for $30 million.

The facility opened as a Schlitz brewery, changing to Stroh's and finally to Coors. But beer hasn't been made there for years except for a small amount early this year. Instead, Hardy kept the operation alive by bottling non-alcoholic drinks.

City Brewing plans to invest $11 million to bring Blues City Brewery into full production.

While as many as 500 employees eventually would be hired over the five-year ramp-up, so far 70 full-time workers are employed, according to Blue City's human resources director Bernadette Fuller.

Another 50 industrial contractors are installing various industrial processes.

"The plan is to add another 20 full-time employees by the end of August," Fuller said.

The company doesn't have its own brand of beer; instead, it does contract-packaging for national and international beverage companies.

City Brewing is the fourth largest brewer in the U.S.

Its breweries in Wisconsin and Latrobe, Pennsylvania, have the capacity to brew a total of 6 million barrels. The Memphis plant will increase the capacity to more than 10 million barrels, or 135 million cases.

03 August, 2011