One of the Richmond area’s homegrown craft beer makers is expanding its operations into another region of the state.
Strangeways Brewing, which opened a brewery and tasting room in Henrico County in 2013 that now gets about 100,000 visitors a year, is planning to invest more than $2.5 million over the next three years to open another production site in Fredericksburg, state officials announced Thursday.
The new brewhouse at 350 Lansdowne Road near the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds will include a tasting room, event space, an arcade and an outdoor beer garden.
It also will have a 10-barrel brewing operation that will enable the company to increase production of its craft beers, which include brands such as its Albino Monkey Belgian White Ale and its Woodbooger Belgian-Style Brown Ale, both of which are distributed to retail stores in central Virginia.
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The expansion will create 27 new jobs, according to Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s office.
Strangeways will continue to operate its local brewery and tasting room at 2277 Dabney Road in Henrico.
Owner Neil Burton said in a statement Thursday that he has long planned to expand the business into his hometown of Fredericksburg, where Strangeways will be that area’s third microbrewery.
The 10,100-square-foot building on almost 3 acres in Fredericksburg has personal meaning for Burton, a James Monroe High School graduate.
“This is the exact same building where we previously headquartered my families’ clothing operation, Burton’s Menswear, which I helped operate for nearly 20 years. That just makes this even more special and personal,” Burton said on Strangeways’ Facebook page.
The state and local governments are providing grants to help finance the expansion. McAuliffe approved a $150,000 grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development, or AFID Fund, which helps finance economic development projects that utilize Virginia agricultural products. Fredericksburg is matching the state grant with local funds.
The company said the new brewery will have nearly 50 Strangeways beers on tap, and it plans to increase its barrel aging programs and experiment with new types of brews.
Strangeways has a reputation for brewing what the company itself calls “exquisitely peculiar” beers for people with an “intrepid palate.” For instance, it is the largest producer of sour and wild beers in the state.
The brewery has won awards and gained notoriety, such as being listed in Southern Living magazine as one of the South’s best breweries, and by Bon Appétit magazine as one of the nation’s “Ten breweries to watch.”