E-Malt.com News article: USA, NY & PA: Ruckus Brewing Co. plans to take over Neuweiler Brewery

Allentown’s former Neuweiler Brewery could soon make beer again, lehighvalleylive.com reported on January, 2.

Josh Wood said that his Manhattan-based Ruckus Brewing Co. will buy the long-vacant brewery and make beer there as early as 2014. He said Ruckus has lined up most of the roughly $25 mln it needs to buy the brewery from the city and redevelop it.

The brewery, which Ruckus is calling Brewer’s Hill, would give Ruckus the capacity it needs to meet increased demand for its craft beers, which include popular labels Hoptimus Prime and Hedonism, Wood said. Ruckus doesn’t currently have its own brewery.

“Where we are in our business model, we needed to get into the facility,” Wood said. “When you’re in 11 states and Canada and demand is outgrowing supply, you really want to have control of your own production.”

The brewery is likely to become the new Ruckus headquarters, complete with a brewpub and an “experience center” for tours, Wood said. He said Ruckus would also lease brewing space to other beer makers.

The brewery accounts for half the project, he said. The rest would be retail and office space.

Wood said Ruckus was attracted to Allentown by the city’s Neighborhood Improvement Zone, which returns property taxes to taxpayers to pay for redevelopment projects. Wood expected Ruckus, which is in that zone, would receive money to pay off its Brewer’s Hill debt.



04 January, 2013