Asheville area breweries investing millions, adding staff


Asheville’s craft brewery boom continues to see explosive growth, with local beer producers dropping millions on expansions and staff. The $175 million New Belgium brewery going up in West Asheville along the French Broad River stands out as the area’s biggest project, and it reflects the nation’s growing preference for craft beer, such as IPAs, pale ales, bitters and others styles. Year-to-date sales for craft beer are up 20 percent in 2014 from 2013 numbers, according to the Brewers Association trade group. Overall, craft beer was 7.8 percent of beer sold in 2013, the association said. Green Man is planning a $4 million expansion that will include a 17,000-square-foot packaging building with a rooftop beer garden tasting area. Asheville Brewing is adding more tanks to meet the demand for beer. Highland Brewing, which opened in 1994 as the region’s first craft brewery, is spending about $6 million on an expansion. Sierra Nevada has almost 100 employees at its Mills River brewery, a number that will double in the near future. In addition, it plans to begin regular brewhouse tours in mid-October. The demand is boosted by Asheville’s place as a nationally known tourist destination and a “tremendous emphasis on locally produced products,” says Jennifer McLucas with the Asheville Brewers Alliance.