Deschutes Brewery opening an East Coast hub is a matter of when, not if at this point. The Post and Courier mentioned this week that Michael LaLonde, president and chief operating officer for Deschutes, will be visiting Charleston, S.C., this month as part of its scouting trip.
“I don’t know a lot about the Charleston beer scene, but we plan to learn much more during our visit,” he said Monday. “Quality of life, outdoor activities available, culture of the community, quality of the schools — both for our co-owners and their children — proximity to beer drinkers and major transportation routes are the biggest criteria, although we have many more.”
LaLonde said having additional craft breweries nearby “is a factor but not a critical one.”
The Charleston area has about eight microbreweries, currently.
