Another West Coast Brewer Setting Up in Virginia

Last week we heard the news about Stone Brewing Company's expansion to Virginia. This week, San Diego based Green Flash Brewing Company broke ground on their new facility in Virginia Beach.  From the Virginian-Pilot:

The shovels that kicked off construction of a $20 million brewery in the Corporate Landing business park on Monday symbolized more than an economic development achievement for Virginia Beach.

When San Diego-based Green Flash Brewing Co. is finished building its second facility in early 2016, Virginia's craft beer output stands to increase nearly 40 percent over what specialty brewers produced last year in the commonwealth.

Couple that with Stone Brewing Co.'s announcement last week that it will build a brewery in Richmond, and the state's craft production capacity could quadruple.

We first reported on Green Flash's Virginia plans early last year. But it was still surprising news when I saw the report of the ground breaking ceremony yesterday. I guess I'd forgotten about them. Green Flash plans to build  a 7,400-square-foot tasting room and an outdoor beer garden on the site.

See "Craft brewing locally, statewide shows heady growth" for more on the Green Flash expansion and it's affect on the Virginia craft beer industry.

Photo courtesy the Green Flash Facebook page.