USA, SC: Quest Brewing confidently rolls into 2015 with increased production last year

Greenville's Quest Brewing Co. is rolling into 2015 with a lot of confidence, having greatly boosted beer production in 2014, Greenville Online reported on January 26.

The brewery turned out 2,000 barrels of beer last year — a jump of 400 percent from 2013, its first partial year of business. This year, it looks to raise beer production to 3,500 barrels as it increases its distribution area to include all of North Carolina along with the South Carolina markets it already serves. A barrel of beer is 31 gallons.

In 2015, Quest will release more of its beers in cans and purchase additional brewing-related equipment. It currently has seven employees, a mix of full and part-timers. The company is not releasing its financial numbers, but co-founder Andrew Watts said it is profitable. "Any money we make we are investing back into the brewery," he said.

The growth has pleasantly surprised Quest brewer Don Richardson, who co-founded Quest 18 months ago with Watts. "We have only scratched the surface" of the brewery's potential, he said.

Last year, it released 16-ounce cans of its Golden Fleece Belgian Pale Ale and Smoking Mirror Smoked Porter. It also began selling its brews in the Asheville area. This year, it will add cans of flagship Ellida IPA and Kaldi Coffee Stout and begin selling in the Raleigh and Chapel Hill area then make its way to the North Carolina coast.

The brewery is "making Greenville proud" through its increase distribution of beer, said Brook Bristow, executive director of the South Carolina Brewers Guild. "They are most definitely on the move."

Richardson and Watts want to add more brewery tanks and equipment to increase its canning speed.

The Upstate is currently home to six brewing operations — Thomas Creek, Quest, Brewery 85, the downtown Blue Ridge brewpub, all those in Greenville, Swamp Rabbit in Travelers Rest and RJ Rockers in Spartanburg. But at least four other breweries have been announced. "This market is booming," Richardson said.

28 January, 2015