E-Malt.com News article: USA, VA: Midnight Brewery breaks ground for brewing beer

Midnight Brewery in Goochland County broke ground for their new facilities on March 28, the next step for the Goochland County business and another milestone for Central Virginia beer lovers, according to Richmond.com.

The new building, to be built adjacent to the current location, will be a grand 5,400 square feet total, including a larger, 1,800-square-foot tasting room with bigger bar, expanded seating, and increased tap capability, plus outdoor seating.

Besides the tasting room expansions, the new building will house the 10-barrel brewing system and 20 barrels of fermenting tanks that Midnight is buying from O’Connor Brewing Co. in Norfolk. This will allow the brewery to increase production from current levels of 30 barrels a month to 200 barrels a month, increasing from there as demand increases.

One thing that won’t change with the expansion is the Midnight atmosphere. “My goal was always to make our tasting room feel like when a friend of yours comes over and you share a beer on your back porch, just sitting, relaxing and catching up on conversation,” says Midnight owner, Trae Cairns. “That’s what we try to foster here. You can have a really good conversation over a pint of beer.”

Increased production will not merely accommodate tasting room demand but will also allow Midnight to expand the beer lineup at local restaurants and bars, from the current offerings of New Beginning kolsch and Rockville Red to include also the Not My Job brown ale and Purdy Mechanic IPA, perhaps adding seasonals as well. In addition to the increase in kegs, Midnight anticipates bottling and canning, too.

Midnight’s growth reflects the explosion in the Richmond craft beer business. “We surpassed our two-year plan way ahead of time,” Cairns reflects. He recalls the early months of the business. “We’re flying through beer and I just can’t keep up!” And this was before SB 604, the Virginia legislation that allowed breweries to sell beer for on-site consumption. After SB 604, demand increased even more.

In those two years, Midnight has increased production from an initial nine barrels a month and hired a head brewer, Becky Rudolf.

In addition to regular taproom activities, Midnight will have two pins: a New Beginning kolsch with dark cherries and a Purdy Mechanic IPA with dried apricots and Citra hops.

Midnight joins other established Central Virginia breweries that have experienced significant growth. Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, for example, has expanded into a second building, multiplied its capacity five-fold, expanded distribution in Northern Virginia, grown from two employees to 27, and added a food scientist to their staff along with the equipment to better utilize the scientific aspect of brewing.

With Triple Crossing Brewing Co. and Ardent Craft Ales poised to open soon and The Answer Brewpub in full-fire construction.


28 March, 2014