Fifty West Brewing plans $1.5 million expansion
Fifty West Brewing Company is growing, to the tune of $1.5 million. An expansion, set to break ground in November, will add a production facility, volleyball courts and a cycling company to the Columbia Township brewery.
The expansion involves redeveloping the space that's currently Hahana Beach, 7605 Wooster Pike. Located across Route 50 from the brewpub, that space will house a new production facility, with four 40-barrel fermenters to start. That will allow the brewery to produce between 4,000 and 5,000 barrels annually, up from its current production of 1,500 to 2,000 barrels per year. And there will be room to grow.
The additional capacity will allow Fifty West to increase the supply of its draft product, which is much needed, said Blake Horsburgh, Fifty West brewmaster and co-owner. It will continue packaging on a small scale, perhaps a little bit more than it does now: Horsburgh expects to package about 10 percent of the brewery's beer in 2016.
In addition to the production facility, the expansion will also add sand volleyball courts, built for Hahana Beach. Fifty West plans to keep the courts operational and to run its own leagues.
And in the same parking lot, the brewery will open Fifty West Cycling, which will sell, service and, in the future, possibly rent bikes to ride along the nearby Little Miami Scenic Trail.
"Part of who we are, part of our ethos, is creating an experience as well as creating beer," Horsburgh said. "It's an experience that's a lot more than just a liquid product. With this volume expansion, we can increase the quality of consumers' experience."
The existing brewpub, 7668 Wooster Pike, will remain as the restaurant and tap room. Fifty West will use the current brewery as a pilot system where brewers will create specialty, one-off or experimental beers, Horsburgh said.
Work on the expansion is expected to continue into early 2016. A target completion date has not been set, but Horsburgh hopes to see it finished by the second quarter.