Nearly three weeks after New Realm Brewing won an auction for the brewing equipment located inside the former Green Flash Brewing Virginia Beach production facility, the Atlanta-headquartered beer company has announced plans to resume operations at the 58,000 sq. ft. facility and reopen its taproom.
“When the opportunity came up to partner with The Miller Group to lease the Virginia Beach facility, purchase newer, high-quality brewing equipment at a great value and create jobs in Virginia Beach, we knew we needed to seize it,” New Realm CEO and co-founder Carey Falcone said, via a press release.
Earlier this month, Brewbound reported that New Realm had acquired the equipment assets in an online auction run by Heritage Global Partners. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, however, a source involved in the bidding process told Brewbound that the equipment — including a 50-barrel brewhouse, 15 fermentation tanks, an automated glass bottling line and a KHS keg line — could have been sold for more than $4 million.
New Realm said it plans to reopen the recently built Virginia Beach brewery as soon as it receives the required licenses and permits. The Virginia location will also feature an outdoor beer garden and private event space.
Falcone started New Realm with Bob Powers, a fellow former Anheuser-Busch executive, and ex-Stone Brewing brewmaster Mitch Steele. The trio’s brewery and restaurant opened in Atlanta’s Beltline corridor in early January, but the location has struggled to meet consumer demand for its offerings.
Steele previously told Brewbound that the Atlanta facility would be scaled up to 20,000 barrels annually. The new Virginia production facility gives New Realm an additional 40,000 barrels of annual capacity.
In February, Falcone purchased a piece of land in Charlotte, North Carolina, for $5 million as part of a future New Realm project.
Green Flash originally opened the $20 million Virginia Beach brewery, which is capable of being scaled to 100,000 barrels, at the end of 2016. However, in late March, the San Diego-headquartered craft brewery announced that it would immediately cease operations at the facility and terminate 43 employees. Green Flash founder Mike Hinkley told Brewbound that the company took on a “considerable amount of debt” to build the Virginia Beach brewery, a decision that ultimately led to a sale of the company.
New Realm executives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A press release with additional information is included below.
New Realm Brewing Announces Plans to Open Virginia Beach Brewery and Taproom
ATLANTA – New Realm Brewing, the Southeast-based craft brewery co-founded by Carey Falcone, Bob Powers and Mitch Steele, has announced plans to open a second brewery and taproom in Virginia Beach. New Realm has partnered with The Miller Group to lease the 58,000 square-foot facility which formerly housed the Green Flash Brewing Company. The announcement follows the recent purchase of brewing equipment located at the Virginia Beach facility.
“As we looked at ways to serve our growing base of New Realm fans, it was important to us that we remain a local brewer in the Southeast, expand capacity, increase innovation and stay true to our core values,” said Carey Falcone, CEO and co-founder of New Realm Brewing. “When the opportunity came up to partner with The Miller Group to lease the Virginia Beach facility, purchase newer, high-quality brewing equipment at a great value and create jobs in Virginia Beach, we knew we needed to seize it.”
“New Realm is proud to become part of the Virginia Beach community as we continue to serve our fans in Atlanta. We could not ask for better local partners than Jerry Miller and The Miller Group. We look forward to benefiting from their experience, support and advocacy as we serve the Virginia Beach community for many years to come.”
Jerry Miller, CEO and founder of The Miller Group, said, “We are thrilled to welcome New Realm to Virginia Beach. With the backing of a strong management team, world-class facility and premier location, New Realm’s brewery and taproom will support job creation and draw visitors to Virginia Beach year-round.”
The Virginia Beach brewery and taproom will be located at 1209 Craft Lane, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and New Realm expects it to open once it receives all applicable licenses and permits required for operation.
The new brewery is capable of brewing 40,000 barrels annually, and will feature a tasting room with a wide variety of beers on tap, an outdoor beer garden, and private event space.New Realm beers are currently available at its Beltline brewery and restaurant in Atlanta, as well as bars throughout Atlanta and select retail locations in Georgia. The existing brewery and restaurant is located at 550 Somerset Terrace NE, Atlanta, Georgia with reservations accepted via OpenTable on New Realm’s website. For a complete list of hours, information on private events and public tours, as well as additional information, visit www.newrealmbrewing.com.About New Realm Brewing
New Realm Brewing Company is an American craft brewery started in 2016 by co-founders Carey Falcone, Bob Powers and Mitch Steele. On a mission to rethink tradition and bend the rules, the team planted their first production facility in a 20,000 square-foot space on Atlanta’s east side Beltline trail,featuring a 25hl brewhouse, 3,000 square-foot restaurant, rooftop patio and beer garden. Renaissance man and brewing legend, Mitch Steele received the Russell Scherer Award for Innovation in Brewing in 2014 and co-authored the book IPA: Brewing Techniques, Recipes and the Evolution of India Pale Ale in 2012. New Realm Brewing’s core principles are quality, creativity, authenticity, and striving for perfection, all with a customer-centric commitment and approach.