Sierra Nevada embraces the east

Sierra Nevada's Chico brewery is nearing capacity

US craft brewer picks North Carolina for second plant

 America’s second-largest craft brewer, Sierra Nevada, is to build a brewhouse on the US east coast. 

The plant in Asheville, North Carolina will ease pressure on the Chico, California brewhouse which last year produced 860,000 barrels, just 40,000 short of capacity.

A spokeswoman said: “The recent growth of craft beer in the eastern USA, combined with the environmental impact of shipping all the way across the country, made a second brewing location the most sustainable solution for us.”

The brewer, known for its Pale Ale, will build the 300,000 barrel plant on a 90-acre site, with work scheduled for completion by early 2014. It has not yet selected a brewhouse supplier, but bosses will visit Germany to meet manufacturers.

Sierra Nevada was founded in the late 1970s by Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi. In 2010, it was the second-largest US craft brewer by sales volumes, according to the US Brewers’ Association, behind leader Boston Beer and in front of Colorado’s New Belgium.

In December 2011, New Belgium announced it had shortlisted four possible locations for its own second brewery on the east coast – Asheville was one of the contenders. The Fat Tire brewer was due to confirm its final decision early this year but will now delay the decision until the spring.  A New Belgium spokesman told US media that Asheville is still in the running.