Tony Kiss

ASH

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.

"We are always expanding, always figuring out how to make more beer," said Dennis Thies, owner of Green Man Brewing, the first brewery to open on the now-busy South Slope, near the city's core downtown district.

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. Thies is waiting for city permits before beginning the project. Green Man sells its bottled beers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

At Asheville Brewing, president Mike Rangel is adding more tanks to meet the demand for beer. "We had an extremely busy summer," Rangel said. "We will have to hire 6-8 more people," including another brewer, he said. The plan is to increase production by 30-40 percent, he said.

Highland Brewing, which opened in 1994 as the region's first craft brewery, is spending about $6 million on an expansion, founder and president Oscar Wong said. "Every time we turn around, we think we will top out (in demand for beer and growth), but not so far."

Sierra Nevada has almost 100 employees at its Mills River brewery, a number that will double in the near future.

Brewery growth is not confined just to North Carolina, with more than 100 breweries and brewpubs. South Carolina, home to 20 breweries statewide, is seeing it too, said Brook Bristow, spokesman for the South Carolina Brewers Association.

"We are seeing huge growth, not only in the number of breweries opening, but in expansions of existing breweries," Bristow said.

At least 15 breweries are in the planning stage in South Carolina.

Until 2012, South Carolina had just seven breweries statewide. But recent changes in South Carolina law have made it easier to open a brewery there, Bristow said. Changes include increasing the beer alcohol limit to 17.5 percent, legalizing beer tastings at breweries and allowing pint sales at breweries, Bristow said.

"Our Legislature has truly been listening to the benefits that craft beer brings to communities," Bristow said.

Among the new South Carolina breweries is Carolina Bauernhaus, a farmhouse brewery that is expected to open in Anderson. It will be the first brewery in Anderson and will join six other breweries in the Upstate.

Brewer and co-owner Keston Helfrich hopes to have a tasting room open by year's end or in early 2015.

"I believe (the South Carolina craft beer) market is expanding," Helfrich said. "With everything going on (in craft brewing) in Greenville, I wanted to see it in my community."

Craft beer continues to grow nationally, said Jennifer McLucas, director of the Asheville Brewers Alliance. More than 3,000 craft breweries are open nationally, with nearly 2,000 more in planning stages.

"There is high demand for our local brews," she said.

The demand is boosted by Asheville's place as a nationally known tourist destination and a "tremendous emphasis on locally produced products," she said.

Here's a quick rundown on brewery expansions.

Asheville Brewing, 77 Coxe Ave. The company is adding five tanks to the downtown brewery. Since it began canning three years ago, "our beer sales and production doubled immediately," company president Mike Rangel said.

Burial Beer, 40 Collier Ave. A 10-barrel system should be in operation on the South Slope by the end of September or early October, brewery co-owner Jessica Reiser said. Burial just hired an entry-level production employee and will hire an experienced brewer in the next few months, Reiser said.

Carolina Bauernhaus, soon to open in Anderson, South Carolina. The farmhouse style brewery will begin with a two-barrel nano-brewery in downtown Anderson and eventually grow to a 15-barrel system. It will introduce some of its beers to the public at the Carolina Brew-Ha-Ha beer festival Sept. 13 in Anderson.

Catawba Brewing, to be built at 32 Banks Ave. on the South Slope. The Asheville brewery will produce 500-1,000 barrels and will be a "boutique" operation backing up the main Catawba operation in Morganton. General renovation of the old Standard Paper building is underway, and Catawba may be able to get its tasting room open there by the end of the year, brewery-co-owner Billy Pyatt said. Brewing is likely to begin in the first quarter of 2015, he said. Catawba will eventually hire about three more employees, a mix of full and part-timers, he said.

Highland Brewing, 12 Old Charlotte Highway. Along with adding solar panels for power, Highland will install a new bottling line. "We've been adding staff all year and will continue to do so," said Wong. Highland's beers are sold in nine states and will remain in that territory for now, Wong said.

Hi-Wire Brewing, 197 Hilliard Ave. There are expansion plans for this year and 2015, but co-owner Adam Charnack isn't ready to discuss them just yet. The brewery has been challenged to meet demand for its beers, he said. "The response has been overwhelming," he said. Hi-Wire opened 15 months ago in the space once occupied by the closed Craggie Brewing Co.

Green Man Brewery, 27 Buxton Ave. It was the first brewery on the South Slope, which now has seven. (That number will grow to eight with Catawba's opening.) Green Man has grown to occupy a large chunk of Buxton Avenue. The latest expansion includes a big packaging facility, a rooftop beer garden and more fermenters. "We were lucky to get that property," owner Dennis Thies said. "It would have been cheaper to go somewhere else, but there is something about that area. We are committed to that location."

New Belgium Brewing, under construction on Craven Street in West Asheville. The project, which had its official groundbreaking in May, is "on track," spokeswoman Susanne Hackett said. "We have about 50-60 people on site now and will have a continuous ramp-up from here on out to a peak of around 300-350 on site by about early spring 2015," she said. "We are on target to be brewing beer by the end of 2015. It's likely the Liquid Center (tasting room) will be open around early 2016."

Open Brewing, Gerber Village, off Hendersonville Road. This former location of a Thirsty Monk pub will reopen this fall. Home brewers will be invited to make their ales on the brewing equipment and will receive royalties from sales in the tasting room. It will be the 18th craft brewery in Buncombe County. The site will also produce beers for the separate Thirsty Monk pubs.

Oskar Blues, 342 Mountain Industrial Drive, Brevard. The brewery has 45 employees in Brevard and will grow production to 70,000 barrels in 2014, spokeswoman Anne-Fitten Glenn said. "That puts us at about capacity in this space, so we are looking at ways to add capacity at the Brevard site," she said. "I think there's continued room for growth provided everyone works to make great quality consistent craft beer."

Sierra Nevada, 100 Sierra Nevada Way, Mills River. The brewery began shipping beer in March for sale on the East Coast. Sierra is "already looking at an expansion of some of the facilities," spokesman Bill Manley said. "We purchased a canning line, which just arrived on site, and we expect to get that installed and running to, hopefully, supply cans out of the facility in early 2015. We're considering adding some additional fermentation tanks." A restaurant, taproom and outdoor music venue are under construction and should open in 2015, Manley said. The brewery has 96 employees, 85 percent of them full time.

Wicked Weed, open at 91 Biltmore Ave., opening brewery in Candler. The popular downtown brewery and restaurant has announced a $5 million expansion in Candler that will add 82 jobs and produce up to 50,000 barrels annually. It is also opening a second downtown location called the Funkatorium that will be a combination barrel house and tasting room.

Carolina beer growth by the numbers

3: Number of employees at Highland Brewing when it opened in 1994.

47: Full-time employees at Highland today, plus another 25 part-timers.

96: Employees at Sierra Nevada's Mills River brewery.

5,000-6,000: Barrels of beer brewed each week at Sierra Nevada.

$175 million: Cost of New Belgium's West Asheville brewery.

17: Breweries in Buncombe County, with three others in various states of planning or construction.

20: Breweries in South Carolina.

Brewery tours at Sierra Nevada

Sierra Nevada is planning to begin regular brewhouse tours with a tasting of its beers in mid-October, company spokesman Bill Manley said. For now, visitors can take a "hard-hat tour" of the brewery (no hard-hat actually required). The tours include information on the brewery's history, brewing process and commitment to sustainability. Those tours are offered on a first-come first-served basis and must be booked online at http://www.sierranevada.com/brewery/north-carolina/brewery-tour