Craft beer fans, take note: One of the west coast’s greatest breweries is ready to open up a full scale brewing operation on the opposite side of the country, complete with a tasting room and beer garden. The brewery happens to be San Diego’s famed Green Flash Brewing, a mainstay of the west coast brewing culture and one of America’s favorite craft operations.
Green Flash Brewing had previously elaborated on its intention to open a new brewery near the Atlantic and committed to making Virginia Beach, VA the home of its newest operation. Today, Green Flash announced that plans are going well and it anticipates opening the state- of- the- art facility on Sunday, November 13, 2016. The opening will cap off a weekend of events that includes the 3rd Annual Treasure Chest Fest, an important part of the Green Flash Mission, which raises funds for breast cancer research.
East coast residents have long anticipated the day when Green Flash Brewing would expand to a nearby location, both for the fresher beer and an excuse to visit a new, yet established brewery they know they love. Mike Hinkley, Green Flash co- founder and CEO, is just as thrilled as his brewery’s fans and looks forward to opening day.
“We are so excited to be a part of the amazing Virginia Beach community as we plan to officially celebrate our opening in November,” said Hinkley. “The new brewery will allow us to offer East Coast consumers fresh Green Flash beers at West Coast pricing starting January 1st 2017. We are also looking forward to connecting with our customers face-to-face in Virginia Beach – allowing them to experience Green Flash beers at the source.”
Craft beer fans can expect many great things at Green Flash Virginia Beach. The large tasting room will feature up to 30 different Green Flash beers on tap along with a beer garden, a retail store, food trucks, a private event room, and much more. Virginia Beach is a popular tourist area and the city’s Economic Development Director Warren Harris is convinced the addition of Green Flash will serve to further Virginia Beach’s reputation as a destination city.
“Craft beer lovers and the community as a whole are looking forward to the Green Flash experience,” said Harris. “Having this world-class craft brewery in our backyard is certainly something to cheer about. Not only will Green Flash serve the East Coast some award-winning beers, but the company has a history of supporting the community in a variety of ways that make a difference in people’s lives.”
The Virginia Beach Brewery will be, in many ways, very similar to that of the San Diego headquarters. The new brewery will feature equipment manufactured by Paul Mueller Company of Springfield, Missouri and will sport a production capacity of 100,000 barrels annually. Green Flash Brewmaster Erik Jensen is tasked with ensuring that the beer is consistent in taste and quality to the beer brewed in San Diego and he is ready to meet the challenge.
“I am focused on achieving consistency for the end-product, and everything from the brewhouse and fermentation equipment to bottling line is an exact replica of the equipment used in the San Diego brewery,” explains Jensen. “Additionally, four San Diego brewing team veterans, including head brewer, Evan Chamberlain, are relocating permanently to Virginia Beach to ensure the Green Flash method of brewing is exactly replicated. All brewers hired in Virginia will also be invited to spend time training in San Diego at the brewery headquarters.”
Virginia Beach is an excellent choice for a Green Flash Brewing expansion. Craft beer fans in the surrounding area can keep up with the planned opening and events by visiting Green Flash on the world wide web at www.greenflashbrew.com or by following on social media via these links:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/greenflashbrew
Twitter: @Greenflashbeer
Instagram: www.instagram.com/greenflashbeer
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