Gov. McAuliffe announces Oregon-based Deschutes Brewery will expand with location in Roanoke

by | Mar 23, 2016 | EAT DRINK

Richmond may not be sprouting another brewery from a major city anytime soon, but Virginia just received just nice little beer news yesterday.


Richmond may not be sprouting another brewery from a major city anytime soon, but Virginia just received just nice little beer news yesterday.

On Tuesday, Gov. McAuliffe announced that Deschutes Brewery, based in Oregon, would open a production brewery in Roanoke

The Virginia Governor met with officials in Oregon back in September Virginia competed against North Carolina and South Carolina for the brewery.

The company with locations, plans to invest $85 million and create 108 new jobs with the new East Coast location.

“Virginia’s competitive bid for Deschutes Brewery’s coveted East Coast location was tireless and aggressive, and we are gratified that the company has chosen the City of Roanoke for this major operation.,” Gov. McAuliffe said in a statement. “This is another high-profile win that shines a spotlight on the Commonwealth and reinforces that we are a leading state in the craft beer industry. We are working to diversify and build a new Virginia economy, and I commend the teamwork involved in this great success. We are thrilled to welcome Deschutes Brewery to the Commonwealth.”

Founded in 1988, Deschutes Brewery began as a brewpub in Bend, Oregon. Family-owned and operated the brewery is known for its diverse line-up including Fresh Squeezed IPA, Black Butte Porter, and Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Deschutes Brewery now ships beer to 28 states, the District of Columbia, and around the world.

Michael LaLonde, president of Deschutes Brewery, said they settled on Roanoke after two years of searching communities for another location.

“We love the region and everyone we’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with during this process has been incredible,” he said in a statement. “We have absolutely been blown away with how the community rallied around bringing us here and has given us such a warm welcome…”

No word on when the brewery is slated to open, but stay tuned for details.

Amy David

Amy David

Amy David was the Web Editor for RVAMag.com from May 2015 until September 2018. She covered craft beer, food, music, art and more. She's been a journalist since 2010 and attended Radford University. She enjoys dogs, beer, tacos, and Bob's Burgers references.




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