• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • About Craft Brewing Business

Craft Brewing Business

Professional Insight, Unfiltered

Craft Brewing Business Craft Brewing Business
  • News
  • Business & Marketing
  • Packaging & Distribution
  • Equipment & Systems
  • Ingredients & Supplies
  • Webinars & White Papers
  • News
  • Business & Marketing
  • Ingredients & Supplies
  • Packaging & Distribution
  • Equipment
  • Webinars & White Papers
  • COVID-19

New Belgium begins first test batches at new Asheville brewhouse

December 14, 2015Keith Gribbins

The latest photo of New Belgium's new Asheville brewing facility 2
The latest photo of New Belgium’s new Asheville brewing facility.

New Belgium Brewing Co.’s 200-hectoliter brewhouse departed from GEA Brewery Systems (GEA) in Kitzingen, Germany, in mid-November of 2014. Now, that high-tech, German-engineered, ultimate-badass beer brewing system is being put through its paces. Reports leaked out of Asheville, N.C., last week that New Belgium was starting to do test batches at its newly, mostly constructed East Coast brewery and Liquid Center (a tasting room/ultimate beer destination). And what beer do you think New Belgium started with? We turn to the Citizen-Times, Asheville.

Steam began wafting from the massive riverfront brewery this week as a test batch of Fat Tire Amber Ale was started. New Belgium will follow with test runs of Ranger IPA and 1554 Black Lager to be sure all equipment is properly running, spokeswoman Suzanne Hackett said.

Much of the construction is finished at the brewery located on the French Broad River in West Asheville but the company has not yet received a certificate of occupancy, Hackett said. Crews are working now at the Liquid Center tasting room, which will open in late February with tours beginning in March.

Asheville has become an East Coast mecca for craft beer, with West Coast brands like New Belgium Brewing and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. setting up shop in the beautiful North Carolina burg. New Belgium officially broke ground and started construction on its second facility — a 133,000-square-foot brewery and tasting room — back in 2014. Next year, in 2016, New Belgium will be opening its brewery and Asheville Liquid Center, finalizing construction and starting to brew. At full build out, New Belgium will brew 500,000 barrels (bbls) annually and support upward of 140 jobs. Back to the Citizen-Times:

“With the holidays coming up, we’ll pause and then ramp up on January 4,” Hackett said. “We will continue testing (the brewing system) in January. We’re not going to rush that process. We are really excited about what we have seen so far.”

The new brewery and Liquid Center is on an 18-acre site along the French Broad River in West Asheville, once designated as a brownfield site and having a history of interesting uses (like circus events). Watch this video to learn a little history about the land.

New Belgium Brewing and ODD Media launch Green Flags podcast, focusing on the impact of business on its own workers
Maui and New Belgium Brewing create “Empowerment Brew Day,” supporting/celebrating women in beer
New Belgium’s Pint Size Film Fest encourages fans to make movies with its Voodoo Ranger action figure ($5K grand prize)
spices-002
S/he who controls the spice can infuse six blends with New Belgium Brewing

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. BeerLawCenter says

    December 18, 2015 at 12:10 pm

    New Belgium begins test batches at new Asheville brewhouse https://t.co/GiACZ8TsFF @CraftBrewingBiz @newbelgium

    Log in to Reply
  2. alittletasting says

    December 17, 2015 at 4:23 pm

    Excellent news! First test batches at Asheville brewhouse! https://t.co/8tgM5sDK5C @newbelgium @NewBelgium_PGH

    Log in to Reply
  3. Salvatore C Tornabene says

    December 15, 2015 at 9:52 pm

    Salvatore C Tornabene liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  4. Stefano Occhi says

    December 15, 2015 at 9:51 am

    Stefano Occhi liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  5. Neil Kime says

    December 15, 2015 at 9:51 am

    Neil Kime liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  6. Larry A. Barnhart says

    December 15, 2015 at 9:51 am

    Larry A. Barnhart liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  7. Serge Lubomudrov says

    December 15, 2015 at 9:51 am

    Serge Lubomudrov liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  8. Richard Sun says

    December 15, 2015 at 1:51 am

    Richard Sun liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  9. Paul Matthews says

    December 15, 2015 at 1:51 am

    Paul Matthews liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  10. Scatterbrain Brewing says

    December 14, 2015 at 9:51 pm

    Scatterbrain Brewing liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  11. Katie R. Stouffer says

    December 14, 2015 at 7:29 pm

    Tomas Sluiter

    Log in to Reply
  12. LVRGLLC says

    December 14, 2015 at 7:23 pm

    #CraftBeer #CraftBrewing #Beer #BeerBiz New Belgium begins first test batches at new Asheville brewhouse https://t.co/fCXLbZcr3m

    Log in to Reply
  13. Brent Horner says

    December 14, 2015 at 6:36 pm

    Brent Horner liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  14. Joe Alfeo says

    December 14, 2015 at 6:36 pm

    Joe Alfeo liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  15. vonCincy says

    December 14, 2015 at 5:54 pm

    RT @crsimp01: New Belgium begins test batches at new Asheville brewhouse https://t.co/FvDHrqyGnQ via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  16. JoseNotJuan says

    December 14, 2015 at 5:50 pm

    RT @crsimp01: New Belgium begins test batches at new Asheville brewhouse https://t.co/FvDHrqyGnQ via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  17. crsimp01 says

    December 14, 2015 at 5:45 pm

    New Belgium begins test batches at new Asheville brewhouse https://t.co/FvDHrqyGnQ via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  18. Jesse Miller says

    December 14, 2015 at 5:36 pm

    Jesse Miller liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  19. Jeff Heffay Mason says

    December 14, 2015 at 5:36 pm

    Jeff Heffay Mason liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply
  20. Jonathan Ayers says

    December 14, 2015 at 5:36 pm

    Jonathan Ayers liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Latest News

  • Beyond beer: Examples of craft breweries exploring canned cocktails
  • San Diego breweries gear up for Pucks & Pints Charity Hockey Game
  • Are you a steel keg champion? The Steel Keg Association wants to honor you
  • Guinness Open Gate Brewery Chicago finally opens this summer

Sign up for our newsletter

unsubscribe from list

Most Popular Today

Recent Features

  • newbelgium_2023_wildnectar-shopping-basket_family_IMG_2Beyond beer: Examples of craft breweries exploring canned cocktails
    March 16, 2023
  • brooklyn 35 featureBrooklyn Lager turns 35 and more beers to know this week
    March 14, 2023
  • Backwoods Brewing to open a 19-acre resort called Party Acres in the Columbia River gorge this May
    March 13, 2023
  • Distribution update: NYC’s Alewife Brewing now sells in eastern Pennsylvania + news from Maui, Urban South and more
    March 13, 2023
  • Years in planning: Flix Brewhouse will open a nine-screen luxury theater and brewery in Mansfield, Texas, this fall
    March 9, 2023
  • insurance-risk-exposure7 crazy insurance claims ─ could your brewery fall victim?
    March 8, 2023

Footer

  • Email Newsletter Sign Up
  • About Craft Brewing Business
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise on Craft Brewing Business
  • Media Kit Download
  • Privacy and Terms

© 2023 · CBB Media LLC