E-Malt.com News article: USA, CA & VA: Green Flash Brewing to begin construction on its second location in Virginia

San Diego’s Green Flash Brewing announced it will begin construction on its second location, a 58,000 sq. ft. brewing facility in Virginia Beach that will eventually be capable of producing 100,000 barrels of beer per year, brewbound.com reported on October, 13.

Officially scheduled to open in 2016, the $20 mln brewery will be built on a 9-acre lot in the area’s Corporate Landing Business Park.

“I’m pleased to welcome Green Flash to Virginia Beach,” said Virginia Senator Jeff McWaters. “As a legislator, it is very rewarding when legislation you’ve worked on makes a visible and significant impact on industry and spurs job creation. With the passage of Senate Bill 604, Green Flash chose to take another look at Virginia and ultimately decided to make Virginia Beach their east coast home. I am grateful for the investment Green Flash is making in our community, and I look forward to the grand opening in 2016.”

“After announcing plans to build our facility in Virginia Beach, we have been moving forward step-by-step towards breaking ground,” states Mike Hinkley Co-founder and CEO of Green Flash Brewing Co. “We are breaking ground to enter the first phase of construction, focused on the layout and building orientation on the nine-acre lot. We want to be sure we are mindful of our impact on the immediate surroundings, so we are planning to incorporate the pre-existing landscape and trees into our spacious beer garden and will develop routes for smart traffic flow, accessible walkways and ample parking for guests. We extend many thanks to everyone in the community for making us feel welcome and at home from day one, and look forward to celebrating our opening upon completion of construction in 2016.”

The steadily growing demand for Green Flash beers on the East Coast prompted the need for a second brewery, and Virginia Beach was chosen due to its ease of access from all mid-Atlantic corridors as well as for its coastal landscape and cultural similarities to San Diego, CA.

“Most importantly,” says Green Flash Co-founder and Vice President of Marketing, Lisa Hinkley, “we will have the chance to further connect with our customers on the East Coast in the Virginia Beach tasting room and beer garden. Our most powerful brand building comes when we are face to face with our customers and they can see, hear, feel and taste our beer at the source. It is then that they are able to experience our passion for brewing innovation and explore our craft first-hand.”

From a production standpoint, the new brewery will replicate the state-of-the-art production capabilities of the Green Flash headquarters in San Diego. The brewery’s interior footprint will follow the same plan with most equipment installed prior to opening. The fermentation tanks will be delivered in three phases: 50% of capacity up front, with 25% added as needed until reaching the operation’s full capacity to meet demand.

Green Flash is expected to produce 65,000 barrels out of their San Diego brewery in 2014, and is expected to reach the California facility’s maximum 100,000 barrel capacity in 2016 – just in time for their official grand opening in Virginia Beach.


15 October, 2014