Deschutes Brewery eyes East Coast locations for expansion

Go East, young brewer — that seems to be the mantra of many of the craft brewing industry’s top western powerhouses. The latest, Deschutes Brewery, long rumored to expanding across the country, is making official headlines on the matter now.

From the Citizen-Times:

Representatives from Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Ore., the sixth-largest craft brewer in the country, visited Asheville in December and plan a second trip in late May, according to company president Michael LaLonde, who spoke highly of the mountain region.

“The quality of life is great out there,” LaLonde said. “We loved all the breweries that are in and around Asheville. We went on a number of tours and met some great people. The restaurant scene is pretty incredible, as well. Very attractive to us.”

Deschutes distributes in 28 states, but it’s looking for a brewery and distribution center that would allow it to expand to the Southeast and East Coast.

The brewery also looked at sites in Greenville, N.C., and Charleston, S.C.

If you, yourself, are looking to expand, feel free to browse some of these features from the Craft Brewing Business archives:

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