USA, SC: Brewery 85 ready to open in Greenville in February

Located in a 10,000-square-foot facility on a 6.2-acre tract of land, a new brewery will open its doors in Greenville on February 1 after nearly a year and a half of planning. Local craft beer store The Community Tap will also host a Greenville market launch on January 16 at which some of Brewery 85’s first batches will be available, GSA Business reported on January 9.

“Part of it was not knowing how long things would take,” said the longtime homebrewer and engineer. Other obstacles — including the government shutdown, an excessively rainy summer and land regulation miscommunications — were less predictable.

“Not only are we opening a taproom and a business, but we’re also opening a manufacturing facility,” said McCameron, who received a World Brewing Academy international diploma in brewing technology from the Doemans Academy in Bavaria, Germany. “I’ve only ever been a brewer. I’ve never had to take care of packaging and manufacturing.”

McCameron will run the business alongside the company’s vice president, Jeremy Caldwell, an experienced home brewer who graduated with a business degree from Lander University, and his wife, front office manager, Meredith.

Brewery 85 will join other Upstate breweries such as Thomas Creek Brewery, Quest Brewing Co., Blue Ridge Brewing Co. and Spartanburg-based RJ Rockers. McCameron plans to produce between 700 and 1,000 barrels during the first year, putting them well under the maximum limit to be considered a microbrewery in South Carolina.

Will McCameron’s vision for Brewery 85 is to stay as local as possible by sourcing local ingredients and working with close-to-home partners such as Asheville-based Riverbend Malt House and Clemson student startup, SouthYeast Labs. He is also searching for locally sourced hops and hopes to work with local colleges and universities.

If all goes well, McCameron hopes to use the rest of their 6.2-acre tract, which used to be farmland, to grow varieties of hops and fruit trees to cultivate their own yeast. Brewery 85 is also currently looking for brewery interns in relevant programs of study for spring.

As the fourth brewery in Greenville and one of around 20 in the state, Brewery 85 is adding to a small but growing South Carolina brewing community. While South Carolina may never rival the 80-brewery strong North Carolina market, it’s home, said McCameron.

15 January, 2014