USA, VA: Port City Brewing Co. to invest more than $2.68 mln in expansion

Port City Brewing Co., a craft beer maker in Alexandria, plans to invest more than $2.68 million to expand its brewery and warehouse operations in the city, adding 26 jobs, Richmond.com quoted state officials as saying on August 31.

The company, founded in 2011, also plans to buy about 75 percent of its agricultural products from Virginia producers.

The state agreed to provide a $250,000 grant for the company’s expansion from the governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development fund, which is used for economic development projects that use Virginia farm and forestry products.

Alexandria is matching the state grant with local money.

The company plans to use Virginia-grown wheat in its Belgian-style wheat beer called Optimal Wit. It also plans to use Virginia oysters in an oyster stout beer called Revival Stout.

Every part of the oyster will be used, including the shells for calcification of the water used in the beer, said Todd Haymore, Virginia’s secretary of agriculture and forestry.

“We are not aware of anyone else in Virginia who is doing a full utilization of the oyster,” Haymore said.

01 September, 2016