Production is slated to begin in January 2017 at White Labs on 172 South Charlotte Street, and locals are excited.
The international yeast producer and beverage consultant announced their expansion to the Asheville area in January 2015. Since then, homebrewers, professional craft brewers, and beer drinkers alike have kept a thirsty eye on the renovations happening at their South Slope location.
The existing downtown Asheville building spent past lives as a tobacco warehouse, stable, truck repair warehouse, and storage. As such, it has been going through extensive renovations to bring it up to White Labs’ production standards while maintaining its historic character. Much of the work has centered around underground activities, including removing the 100-year-old concrete floor. Additional delays were caused by a large sinkhole on the property, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times.
White Labs unveiled strategic plans to open an east coast facility in Asheville as part of their multi-year international expansion. According to the company’s official announcement, the expansion is being driven in large part by consumer demand.
“Like San Diego and Boulder, Asheville serves as an innovation center for emerging breweries and we couldn’t be more excited to join the Asheville brewing community,” said White Labs Founder and CEO Chris White. “40% of our current customers are on the east coast. Being local will enable us to best serve them and lower our corporate carbon footprint.”
White Labs’ Asheville location will fulfill production and distribution of 100 strains of yeast for beer, wine, kombucha, and spirits. It will also offer education and analytical lab services, as well as public tours. Upon completion, the renovated main building and newly constructed additional tasting room will total around 34,000 square feet and will bring 65 jobs to the local community. A number of those positions will be in the public tasting room and brewery, which will offer 30–35 original White Labs beers.
White Labs’ total investment in the space is expected to be $10 million.
About White Labs
White Labs operates at the intersection of science, education, and craft—where dedicated biochemists explore new ways to advance brewing together. The San Diego, California-based company developed the industry’s first pitchable liquid yeast, as well as revolutionizing the way yeast and enzymes are propagated and packaged. Their success in creating top-quality, environmentally friendly products have led to an international presence. White Labs now has production and distribution facilities in Boulder, Colorado; Davis, California; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Kwai Chung, NT Hong Kong. White Labs Asheville is expected to open in spring 2017.
White Labs yeast is certified kosher and GMO free. Learn more about White Labs at whitelabs.com.
UPDATE: A previous version of this article stated that production was set to begin November 7, 2016. White Labs responded to confirm that production is, in fact, on track to begin in January 2017.