E-Malt.com News article: USA, LA: Abita Brewing to expand by adding a new facility in St. Tammany Parish

Abita Brewing Co. hopes to break ground this summer on a $12 project to expand its brewery office space and double the capacity of its brew house, The Republic reported on June, 22.

Troy Ashley, the brewery's chief financial officer, said Abita has reached capacity within its existing 100-barrel facility. The expansion will add an additional 200 barrels of capacity, along with new cellar space with room for a dozen 800-barrel tanks.

"It will give us more capacity to continue to grow our brand and do more special projects," Ashley said. "We have been a big growth company over several years."

Ashley said the new project complements the expansion of Abita Brewing's packaging, bottling and canning lines that was completed last year.

Much of the work would be done in-house, with a long list of subcontractors chipping in on more specific elements, Ashley Krones, a German company that develops machinery for beverage production, is designing the new facility. The company also designed the brewery's existing brew house.

Ashley said Abita hopes to have the new brew house online by the end of the year. The new office space and visitor centre should be complete in early 2014.


26 June, 2013