E-Malt.com News article: USA, VA: Skipping Rock Beer Co. being acquired by Pro Re Nata

Pro Re Nata is taking the hop, skip and jump over the mountain into the Shenandoah Valley, The Daily Progress reported on May 21.

The Crozet-based craft brewery has announced its pending acquisition of Staunton’s Skipping Rock Beer Co., which will be finalized in the coming weeks. The move further expands Pro Re Nata’s footprint in the valley after co-owners John Schoeb and Andrew Messina purchased the city’s old Coca-Cola plant in the fall.

The two brewers had planned to spend the next 18 to 20 months transforming the 26,000-square-foot Coca-Cola space into the company’s primary production facility, but the opportunity to take over Skipping Rock, which closed its Staunton operation in early 2023, practically fell into their lap, said Schoeb.

“We’re super excited, but it’s something we weren’t looking to do,” Schoeb told The Daily Progress. “We just went over there to buy some kegs and keg-washing machines.”

Discussions over a couple of kegs quickly evolved into talks about purchasing the entire Skipping Rock enterprise. As the facility was already fitted with the necessary beermaking equipment, Schoeb and Messina decided to redirect their renovation efforts wholly on that space. Instead of waiting a year and a half, Schoeb estimated it will be another three to six weeks of cleaning, painting and obtaining the necessary licenses to officially open up Pro Re Nata (Plus) out of the old Skipping Rock Beer Co.

Not only will Pro Re Nata (Plus) feature a restaurant and tap room similar to the Crozet location, it will become the brewery’s primary production facility. Currently, 60% of Pro Re Nata’s beer is produced at Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton. The Pro Re Nata facility in Crozet off Rockfish Gap Turnpike boasts multiple stages for live performances, patios for imbibing and playing cornhole, and a shipping container fort offering views of the surrounding woodlands, but not enough in-house beermaking capacity to meet demand.

“It just solved all of our problems over in Crozet,” said Schoeb, who added that the Pro Re Nata (Plus) bar will also carry liquor and cocktails.

Remodeling the old Coca-Cola plant has been temporarily “pushed to the back of the line,” but the brewers plan to return to it by the end of the year. Since it will no longer house all of the brewing machinery, Schoeb said it’s opened up ample room for them to install a restaurant and bar in addition to space for the concerts and events Pro Re Nata has become known for. Those renovations are estimated to take about 12 to 14 months.

Though Schoeb said plenty of customers have requested further expansions into Harrisonburg or Richmond, Pro Re Nata is comfortable in the Staunton area, where the brewery world is less populated than other corners of the commonwealth.

“It’s not oversaturated,” said Schoeb. “It’s got to be the exact right place and the exact right time. The next two to three years of my life are completely full.”

Not only is Pro Re Nata less likely to rub shoulders with other breweries in Staunton, but Schoeb also pointed out that sites such as the old Coca-Cola plant are often not available or as affordable in other areas, including in nearby Charlottesville.

“These facilities don’t exist in Charlottesville,” said Schoeb, who added that Staunton’s city government has been incredibly welcoming to the new business. “If it did exist, it would be six or seven times what we paid.”

Though the city of Charlottesville tends to attract more attention regarding events and breweries, Schoeb said he believes things on the other side of the mountain are about to take off.

“I’m a firm believer that there’s a lot of stuff happening in the Staunton area right now,” he said. “It’s a beautiful area. I think it’s like Charlottesville was 30 years ago.”


22 May, 2024