Hawai‘i’s largest brewery is getting bigger.
Kona Brewing Company has broken ground on a new $20-million dollar facility that will occupy a space near its current factory.
The new brewery will increase annual production by nearly a factor of 10 to 100,000 barrels. The increase will allow the company to meet the local consumption rate of around 80,000 barrels a year. The company also plans to package more beer for local consumption in cans, which officials say is more environmental friendly and better for the beer.
The new location is also installing a $5-million dollar wastewater recycling system. Sandi Shriver is the Brewery Operations Manager at Kona brewing.
Shriver says the new Kona brewery is expected to be operational in 2018. Since 2010, Kona Brewing Company has been owned by Craft Brew Alliance, and distributed by Anheuser-Busch.
