RICHMOND, Va. — A toast, Richmond, for yet another year of brimming booze news that is sure to spill over into the New Year.
There was no shortage of brewery growth in the market during 2016 from brewing operations large and small.
One of the most celebrated additions to the brewing scene this year was the opening of Stone Brewing’s East Coast operation in the Fulton neighborhood.
California-based Stone, for which the city rolled out a broad incentive package, opened its massive 200,000 square foot production and distribution facility at 4300 Williamsburg Ave. in February.
The company is also working with the city economic development authority to transform the former Intermediate Terminal site at 3101 Wharf St. into it owns into Stone World Bistro & Gardens – the company’s signature restaurant and taproom. Its plans may someday include a hotel nearby, which Stone officials are neither confirming nor leaving off the table.
Work is underway on Hardywood Park Craft Brewery’s $28 million, 60,000-square-foot packaging and brewing facility in West Creek in Goochland County. Hardywood is also preparing to open its new 3,500-square-foot Charlottesville taproom.
Meanwhile, a pair of Wahoo-country brewers found their way into the Richmond market this year.
Charlottesville-based Three Notch’d Brewing Co. recently opened its 4,000-square-foot tasting room and production site on the southern border of Scott’s Addition at 2930 W. Broad St.
And its Charlottesville neighbor, Champion Brewing, is adding a new location in the former Aurora Restaurant at 401 E. Grace St. downtown.
Continuing Scott’s Addition streak of luring breweries, local restaurateurs Jay Shah and Joel Gilbert plan to convert the former SunTrust branch at 3022 W. Broad St. into Statement Brewing Company.
A few blocks north in Scott’s Addition, Väsen Brewing Co., founded by cousins Joey Darragh and Tony Giordano is getting closer to opening in 17,000 square feet in the HandCraft building at 3331 W. Moore St. sometime in 2017.
Back in West Creek, Kindred Spirit Brewing opened its doors in August at 12830 West Creek Parkway, becoming the third brewery to set up shop in Goochland County.
One of the 2016 trends was fueled by established breweries opening satellite locations in their home markets and beyond.
Legend Brewing Co., one of the few longtime players in the industry here, announced plans in October to open a small brewery and taproom in the Olde Towne section of Portsmouth.
The new outpost will take shape in 4,300 square feet on the ground floor of the Seaboard Coastline Building at 1 High St., which is owned by an affiliate of the Monument Cos., a Richmond-based developer.
Meanwhile, Henrico-based Strangeways Brewing is pouring $2.5 million into a 10,000-square-foot satellite production brewery in Fredericksburg.
Center of the Universe Brewing branched out in its hometown with the opening last month of its Origin Beer Lab at 106 S. Railroad Ave. in downtown Ashland.
And in a big step up from its original 2,800-square-foot location downtown, Triple Crossing Brewing this month opened its new 30,000-square-foot taproom and production facility at 5203 Hatcher St. in Fulton.
Breweries weren’t the only booze makers to make moves in Richmond in 2016. Keep reading on RichmondBizSense.com.
Click here to learn more about the business of booze in Richmond by catching up on some BizSense’s coverage of the industry.
