E-Malt.com News article: USA, NC & CA: Sierra Nevada Brewery making progress; plans to open in August

Stan Cooper, co-manager of the Sierra Nevada brewery under construction in Mills River, updated Town Council members on January 9 on the facility's progress, BlueRidgeNow.com reported.

He talked about the company's plans to include a child care center on the property, about 80 acres of which the company is requesting be annexed into Mills River and rezoned light industrial.

He also mentioned eventual plans for a health care center on the property that would serve company employees. Music and entertainment facilities are also planned, along with a meeting facility and a “beer camp” where visitors can stay overnight in cabins while attending brewing classes for several days.

“We are not nearly complete,” in terms of construction, he said, but he expects the facility to be open to the public by early August.

“We are done with the first phase of our building” plans and are brewing beer, “but we are struggling to mimic the product flavor profile due to a number of differences in the altitude and the weather,” compared to the company's headquarters in Chico, California, he said.

“We are finally getting it tuned down. I would really, really be surprised if by the end of this month we are not in the first phase of our full production” of beer that tastes exactly like that coming from Chico.

Cooper said the company has invested more than $100 million in the new brewery and expects to create 150 jobs.

“We have 200 contractors currently working on the project,” he said, including three local steel contractors doing all the finishing work.

Sierra Nevada officials and town attorneys are working on a draft to spell out the details of the annexation and zoning changes over the next few months.


10 January, 2014