USA, VA: Aslin Beer Co. pushes opening to mid-July

Aslin Beer Co.’s co-founder Andrew Kelley said on June 19 they are eyeing a mid-July opening. That's about a month later than earlier projections but isn't too bad when considering that most such operations tend to have delays, the Alexandria Living Magazine reported.

Aslin posted a message about the opening on its Facebook page on June 17:

"Many of you have been asking for updates on our new facility in Alexandria. Things are getting close and moving right along. While we can’t give you a concrete opening date yet (keep your eyes peeled, more details coming soon) we are continually humbled by your support, patience and loyalty and we couldn’t be more excited to share this new space with you!"

Aslin decided last year to move its headquarters from Herndon to Alexandria.

The lease is for 25,000 square feet, which will include 15,000 square feet of production. The rest will be taken up by office space, private event space, a tasting room and retail space, according Kelley.

The company brews the #1 beer by Virginia Beer Advocates according to votes from Virginia beer fans. The beer is called Double Orange Starfish, a New England IPA.

One of the reasons Alexandria was a natural choice, Kelley said, is because Port City has done such a good job of "paving the way" for other craft beer companies.

Aslin decided to move to Alexandria before the Amazon announcement, but having Amazon nearby is another huge benefit to being in Alexandria, Kelley noted.

The company's owners also like the neighborhood feel of Alexandria, its number of small, family-owned businesses and its walkability.

In addition to Kelley, the other partners in the business are Kai Leszkowicz and Richard Thompson. They started home-brewing about seven years ago before opening their doors as a small business in 2015 in Herndon. Aslin Beer Co. has already closed their tasting room in Herndon, but the production facility is still open and they continue to sell limited releases out of their facility there.

The company gets its name from the Aslin family — two of the Aslin family's sisters are married to two of the partners in the business. Another sister is married to the brother of a partner.

Aslin updates its website daily with information on new beers and touts its "Mug Club," a $250 annual membership — but enrollment is based on a lottery each year and is usually maxed out. Lucky members get first access to bottle releases, online reservations and early access on release days.

20 June, 2019