Green Flash to open a brewery in Va Beach

Looks like it will have the same capacity as San Diego and also have a tasting room. Set to begin constriction in 2014 and open in 2015.

Even though I don't live there anymore, I still have family in the area. I can't wait to check it out!http://hamptonroads.com/2013/03/california-beermaker-open-brewery-va-beach

I think that would be awesome...we go through VA Beach about once a year on the way to vacation, and I'll have to say that it's a bit of a dead zone when it comes to breweries. Unless you count Gordon Biersch (which is good, but I'm just not as big a fan of German styles as Belgian, British and American) there's pretty much nothing...

Still a while to wait though...wonder why they're not starting sooner?

EDIT: I guess there are some other places now...

O'Connor Brewing in Norfolk and Beach Brewing in Virginia Beach opened in 2010, and Smartmouth Brewing Co. started last year in Norfolk

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I may have to check some of these places out next time through!

I was went to a beer dinner that Green Flash did with a local restaurant, and they mentioned the new brewery out East. Sounds like a good move.

Lots of breweries are expanding. I believe Sierra Nevada is going into NC and Stone will have an east coast and Europe brewery open in the next decade. Very exciting!

As an east coaster I have mixed feelings. All awesome breweries. I hope the larger west coast brewery expansions boost the craft seen and local breweries and don't compete with them. Here in Ga small breweries are popping up and I hope they're successful!!

Hey, Biochem! Next time you're headed this way PM me & I'll take you around. I can't say you'll be blown away but the beers are solid for the most part. Alewerks in Williamsburg & Hardywood Park and Midnight Brewing in Richmond are making fantastic beers.

Oh, and a buddy of mine will be opening New Carthage Brewing in Wilmington late this year. Dunno if that's close or not, but he makes really good German & English style beers.

Cheers!

gstrawn said:

As an east coaster I have mixed feelings. All awesome breweries. I hope the larger west coast brewery expansions boost the craft seen and local breweries and don't compete with them. Here in Ga small breweries are popping up and I hope they're successful!!

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Yeah small breweries are exploding in Richmond. I can't keep up with all of them. I hope this does not slow down breweries growth. Let the East Coast develop it's own style of beers, whatever that is.

I do see why Green Flash is moving to Hampton Roads, a lot of the people in the area are Navy and probably were stationed at SD at some point. So they know what the brewery is like. But that said OConnors and Smartmouth are awesome breweries in their own right.

I live in VB and am near retirement. Sounds like a good retirement job. . http://hamptonroads.com/2013/03/california-beermaker-open-brewery-va-beach

Thats incredible. The San diego location already has a seriously impressive capacity and they are doubling...

Its exciting that craft beer drinking is growing to the point that it can support this kind of expansion in production.

Its also scary, because these kind of maneuvers are going to kill the mid-sized producers. I have a feeling that the market is going to be barbelled by local small/nano and huge conglomerates like New Belgium and Sierra Nevada. As more uneducated consumers plow into craft beer drinking breweries will be forced to more frequently compete on price and with the economies of scale NB and Sierra Nevada the mid sized brewers margins will be squeezed. I think this will force a lot of breweries to either grow or die trying.

gstrawn said:

As an east coaster I have mixed feelings. All awesome breweries. I hope the larger west coast brewery expansions boost the craft seen and local breweries and don't compete with them. Here in Ga small breweries are popping up and I hope they're successful!!

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As a fellow east coaster I'm excited. More the merrier. I've visited the west coast and rocky mountain region several times, and I gotta say the beer culture out there rules. They aren't in competition like BMC. They actually help each other. Hell, most have other breweries beers on tap at their establishments. Relax....this is a good thing.

biochemedic said:

I think that would be awesome...we go through VA Beach about once a year on the way to vacation, and I'll have to say that it's a bit of a dead zone when it comes to breweries. Unless you count Gordon Biersch (which is good, but I'm just not as big a fan of German styles as Belgian, British and American) there's pretty much nothing...

Still a while to wait though...wonder why they're not starting sooner?

EDIT: I guess there are some other places now...

I may have to check some of these places out next time through!

Click to expand...

We have a few local breweries that don't get as much publicity as Gordon Biersch. Virginia Beach Brewing Co. is here in VB and sells to local bottle shops, and participates in the beer festivals. O'Connor is in Norfolk but anything in the Hampton Roads area is pretty local. They get a lot of circulation, especially in grocery stores. Smartmouth is a very recent addition to Norfolk as well, but I haven't checked them out yet. Also there's another one (Young Veterans Brewing Co.) that did some kickstarter fundraising, so hopefully we'll see them putting out some beers as well.

Having Green Flash come to the area will be awesome.

Hammy71 said:

As a fellow east coaster I'm excited. More the merrier. I've visited the west coast and rocky mountain region several times, and I gotta say the beer culture out there rules. They aren't in competition like BMC. They actually help each other. Hell, most have other breweries beers on tap at their establishments. Relax....this is a good thing.

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Good to hear. I'm not concerned as of right now because the market is still growing so much. I love the idea of local nano brews and would love to have a similar culture as say San Diego.