Great Raft Has A Brewery Space!

Looks like one of the up and coming Louisiana breweries now has a space to call home, and what a space it is!  The press release is below, but here are the highlights:  36,000 total square feet, 27,000 of warehouse/brewery plus 9,000 of office, retail, and tasting areas.  Great Raft Brewing operations should begin this summer (the 20-barrel brewhouse is on order already!) and the grand opening at the brewery is expected in Fall 2013.  Taking advantage of new legal decisions made possibly by the LA Craft Brewers Guild, Great Raft Brewing expects to also be able to sell beer from their front-of-the-house operation.  Now that's progress in the Louisiana beer scene!  Read more below the picture... also check out my older post about some of their beers. 

Great Raft Brewing Secures Location in Shreveport, Louisiana


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lindsay Nations, Press Contact
info@greatraftbrewing.com
318-734-8101 (office)

Apr. 30, 2013, SHREVEPORT, La. -- Great Raft Brewing, a locally created and owned craft microbrewery, signed a lease for 1251 Dalzell Street in Shreveport, Louisiana. This 36,000 sq. ft. facility will serve as the brewery’s location for all operations and packaging, as well as a tasting room. The building consists of 27,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space, along with another 9,000 sq. ft. for office, retail and tasting areas. Operations are scheduled to begin this summer, with a grand opening at the brewery in early fall.

The size and location of this building are both critical to Great Raft’s strategic vision and growth plan. In March, Great Raft ordered a custom 20-barrel, three-vessel brewhouse, five fermentation tanks and two brite tanks, with a capacity of 3,500 barrels (BBLs) annually. Great Raft intends to produce approximately 1,000 – 1,500 BBLs in its first year – increasing production in future years to enter new markets and meet demand.

Co-founder Andrew Nations said, “One of the reasons we selected this location for Great Raft’s operations is that we wanted to have room to grow. We didn’t want to be in a position where we were looking to change locations after a year or two due to space constraints.”

Great Raft Brewing recently applied and received approval for a use variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). Not only will Great Raft be allowed to manufacture its products at 1251 Dalzell, but it can also open its doors for public tastings and tours. During those hours, Great Raft intends to serve samples of products, provide educational tours of the brewery, and sell beer to-go.

“This location affords us the opportunity to not only produce beer of the highest quality, but also educate the public about our products and the beer making process. We are excited to have a visible location, close to Interstate 49 and Downtown Shreveport, and hope to be a fun destination for locals and tourists alike,” said co-founder Lindsay Nations.

Great Raft Brewing will be located less than one mile from the last known brewery to exist in Shreveport – Shreveport Ice and Brewing. Shreveport Ice and Brewing operated for years before closing its doors in 1908 when Shreveport went dry.

“Locating our brewery near the historic Shreveport Ice and Brewing building is a cool thing for us as we work to awaken Shreveport’s brewing culture. We want to continue the history of brewing in Shreveport, and being near that landmark is a constant reminder and inspiration to our team,” added Lindsay.


About Great Raft Brewing: Great Raft Brewing is a Shreveport, Louisiana based craft brewery dedicated to making creative, authentic beer and helping to build a great beer culture within communities it serves. Co-founders Andrew and Lindsay Nations are Shreveport natives with a passion for beer. Born from their desire to bring exciting, flavorful, fresh craft beer to their hometown, Great Raft Brewing is bringing the craft brewing tradition to Northern Louisiana.
Information about Great Raft Brewing can be found at www.greatraftbrewing.com. Learn more on Twitter https://twitter.com/GreatRaftBeer and Facebook www.facebook.com/greatraftbrewing.