Colorado’s New Belgium Brewing Co. has narrowed its list of potential East Coast brewery sites to two: the Philadelphia area and Asheville, NC. Fort Collins-based New Belgium, which produces Fat Tire Ale, said the facility would create 100 to 120 jobs. It would produce up to 500,000 barrels a year, in kegs and bottles, and serve as an East Coast distribution center, New Belgium spokesman Bryan Simpson said.
The Fort Collins Coloradoan reported last November that New Belgium was considering four potential East Coast locations.
“Philadelphia is a great beer town, it has a great beer culture. People there are savvy about beer. We also think we could also learn from Philly,” Simpson told the Philadelphia Business Journal. He said Asheville, a foothills city in far western North Carolina, is also being considered.
Last month, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. of Chico, CA, said it picked Mills River, NC, (12 miles north of Asheville) for its East Coast brewery, where it will produce 300,000 barrels a year.
New Belgium, which is sold in 28 states but has limited availability on the East Coast, started by looking at “dozens” of areas before narrowing the list to 10 and then two, Simpson said. It is looking for a site to build from the ground up.
News reports from North Carolina and Colorado have indicated that a decision was imminent, but Simpson said the decision might not be made before June.
New Belgium is nearing capacity at its Fort Collins brewing operation, where it produces 700,000 barrels a year (with capacity for 900,000).
New Belgium was founded in 1991 by a basement brewer, Jeff Lebesch, who returned to Fort Collins after an epic mountain bike trip throughout Europe, where he sampled local brews. His wife Kim Jordan is now the company’s CEO.
Welcome to NC!!!!
I beg of you to Please!!! Come to NC!!! Asheville would be great, but how about Fayetteville NC/Ft Bragg. The craft brewers are selling a lot of beer here. Even have a couple brew houses and a few excellent craft brew stores. Military town with a huge beer budget! Contact the chamber of commerce. Still gonna keep drinking your beer, love it. 1554/hoptober golden ale/2 below ale/somersault/mighty arrow/fat tire..yes I drank them all.
Mills River is 12 miles South of Asheville (not North as stated above). I do not understand why so much emphasis on Philadelphia as a great beer town. Asheville has been voted “Beer City USA” 3 years running. We have more per capita craft breweries than anywhere. We have all the advantages for potential brewers without “big city” attitude. Beer culture is alive and thriving here, as droves of visitors who come for our festivals will attest. To simply say that Asheville “a foothills city in far western North Carolina, is also being considered” is underwhelming by comparison.
I’m also voting for North Carolina and I told them so by writing them. Asheville is more like Fort Collins than Philly is.
And I’m closer to Asheville – I don’t want to drive to Philadelphia.
My husband and I go to Asheville (from Cincinnati) at least once a year. PLEASE PICK BEER CITY USA!!
The Asheville brewing community is a group of wonderful people and I consider myself lucky that it’s just 6 hours away.
Anywhere on the East coast would be a rad landing spot for New Belgium. But NC would be the ultimate cool spot!!! Favoritism? Not exactly, I’m just rooting for my home base- The Carolinas!!
Katie
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Philadelphia would be the natural fit for New Belgium Brewery. Philly sells more Belgian and Belgian-style beers than any other city in the US. That’s leaving out the mass produced, yellow fizzy crap like Stella.
Philly is, without a doubt, the most beer savvy town in the US. Dozens of award winning breweries, the best collection of real beer bars in the US, and absolutely the best beer educated customers in the US.
Philly started this whole “Beer Week” movement. Philly held the first Beer Week and it remains the best.
Both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were written over a few pints of ale in Philadelphia pubs. Philly brewed the first lager in the US. We even have a neighborhood name “Brewery Town”. Beer has always been part of Philadelphia’s culture. We’ve been into beer before beer was cool.
I went to the Beer City USA website and noticed that it is a public vote site. The largest group of voters came from, guess where…North Carolina. Anyone can win by stuffing the ballot box.
Kim Jordan – To paraphrase Field of Dreams: If you build it, we will drink it.
See you in Philly.
PLEASE PICK ASHVILLE, NC.
Asheville IS Beer City USA for the third year in a row.
North Carolina boasts more craft breweries than any state in the American South, with 21 brewpubs and 28 production breweries statewide. If you’re in North Carolina, you’re probably just a few miles from a great craft beer.
As a matter of fact, North Carolina holds its own amongst world-class beers. North Carolina breweries have taken home more medals from the World Beer Cup and Great American Beer Festival than any other Southern state in recent years.
Come on down to a great state to a great area with a great workforce, great people, a great way of life and a lower cost of living with great distribution channels up and down the east cost!
All roads to an around Ashville lead to GREAT things.
Willis Page
Philly is the real deal!!
It would be great if new Belgium came to city of “brotherly love”. We would welcome them with open arms and of course a few of our local brews. Yards,Iron hill,sterling pig,phila brewery etc,etc.
Philadelphia is a great place to come to. They would be the toast of the town. We have so much history in downtown phila. We also have a beer week. It’s always packed. We welcome new Belgium with open arms and a pint of “fat tire” cheers ??????
I’m an old Colorado Springs boy, from Ft. Carson, and I definitely push for you to come to Massachusetts in Worcester County. I love your Brown Ale and would love to see you out here.