Green Flash Brewing Co. to Open East Coast Brewery in Virginia Beach

March 14, 2013

Green Flash Brewing Co., headquartered in San Diego, announced today that it will officially open its East Coast craft brewing facility in Virginia Beach on Nov. 13. The $20 million facility includes a 58,000-square-foot Green Flash brewery, family-friendly tasting room with 30 Green Flash beers on tap, a beer garden, food trucks, retail store, private-event room and garden at the corner of General Booth Boulevard and Corporate Landing Parkway.

Upon completion, the production facility will provide freight efficiencies for Green Flash's beer distribution throughout the East Coast. This will allow Green Flash to immediately pass the savings from regionalized shipping on to the consumer. The expansive public tasting room and outdoor beer garden will provide customers with an opportunity to experience the Green Flash brand first-hand. The grand opening marks the next chapter for Green Flash, the 45^th-largest craft brewery in the United States, poising the brewery for continued national growth.

The official grand opening will be held on Sunday, Nov. 13. The brewery will celebrate the much-anticipated opening with a weekend of events, including the third annual Treasure Chest Fest, part of its national initiative to raise money for breast cancer charities. The ticketed event will be hosted on Saturday, Nov. 12, and will be the first opportunity for visitors to explore the new Green Flash brewery, followed by the grand opening celebration that will be open to the public on Nov. 13.

"We are so excited to be a part of the amazing Virginia Beach community as we plan to officially celebrate our opening in November," said Mike Hinkley, co-founder and CEO of Green Flash. "The new brewery will allow us to offer East Coast consumers fresh Green Flash beers at West Coast pricing starting Jan. 1, 2017. We are also looking forward to connecting with our customers face to face in Virginia Beach, allowing them to experience Green Flash beers at the source."

"Craft beer lovers and the community as a whole are looking forward to the Green Flash experience," said Virginia Beach Economic Development Director Warren D. Harris. "Having this world-class craft brewery in our backyard is certainly something to cheer about. Not only will Green Flash serve the East Coast some award-winning beers, but the company has a history of supporting the community in a variety of ways that make a difference in people's lives."

The interior of the brewery's production floor has been designed to duplicate the operations of the San Diego brewery, with all brew house and fermentation cellar equipment manufactured by Paul Mueller Company of Springfield, Mo. The ultimate production capacity will be 100,000 annual barrels, and upon opening in November, it will begin brewing the bestselling front-line beers to fulfill orders on the East Coast.

"I am focused on achieving consistency for the end-product, and everything from the brew house and fermentation equipment to bottling line is an exact replica of the equipment used in the San Diego brewery," said Green Flash Brewmaster Erik Jensen. "Additionally, four San Diego brewing team veterans, including head brewer Evan Chamberlain, are relocating permanently to Virginia Beach to ensure the Green Flash method of brewing is exactly replicated. All brewers hired in Virginia will also be invited to spend time training in San Diego at the brewery headquarters."

Green Flash is in the process of hiring staff for both the brewery and tasting room, and expects to employ 40 local residents when they are fully staffed. Green Flash is working with developer, The Miller Group, on the project.

"I've been involved in many developments along the East Coast and have seen few with the same energy as the Green Flash expansion," said Tim Harkins, president and COO of The Miller Group. "The market is truly excited to make Green Flash a key destination in Hampton Roads."

Green Flash Brewing Co. was founded in 2002 by Mike and Lisa Hinkley. Green Flash is an award-winning brewer of fine, hand-crafted ales and specializes in brewing assertive and distinctive beers, such as the nationally acclaimed West Coast I.P.A., an award-winning beer whose wide acceptance has helped define a category. Green Flash brews 10 styles of beer regularly, on draught and in bottles, as well as a growing lineup of seasonal and special offerings, including several barrel-aged beers, throughout the year. Visit www.greenflashbrew.com for more information.

The mission of the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development is to attract and retain national and international businesses to stimulate capital investment and create jobs. Virginia Beach is the most populous city in Virginia with a population of 450,000, and it is the 37th largest in the United States. It is recognized as one of the Best Run Cities in America by 24/7 Wall St. The Department of Economic Development received re-accreditation through the International Economic Development Council in 2016 and is one of only 29 economic development organizations in the world to have this recognition. It is listed among the Top Five Overall Mid-sized American Cities of the Future, Top 10 for Economic Potential and Top Five for Infrastructure by fDi magazine. CNNMoney.com ranked Virginia Beach as the Easiest Place to Start a Business and the 2nd Most Business-Friendly City in the country. For more information, visit www.yesvirginiabeach.com.

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