With more than three years of planning, countless hours of hammering, welding and commissioning, and hundreds of gallons of its signature teal paint, Ninkasi Brewery Company’s second Eugene brewery brewed its very first batch of beer in March. The first official brew not only marks a new era of growth, but also establishes the brewery as an industry leader in sustainable practices and innovation. Working hand-in-hand with ecoReal Solutions of Portland, Ore., the brewery’s design and construction teams have been able to add numerous sustainable features to the brewery, setting it on the path to reach LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council.
“Since the beginning of Ninkasi, we have continuously been in a state of construction with four expansions in the last seven-and-a-half years,” explained Nigel Francisco, the CFO for Ninkasi. “Finally, we will have a space that we can grow in to for the next 10 to 15 years instead of constantly adapting our facilities to fit our needs.
Currently, Ninkasi’s 55-barrel brewhouse has a capacity to produce 90,000 barrels of beer per year. With a second, 90-barrel brewing system installed across the street in Eugene’s Whiteaker neighborhood, the brewery will be able to add an initial 70,000 barrels of capacity with room to grow to 250,000. Perhaps what is equally exciting for the brewery is its gained ability to produce a wider variety of beers with longer fermentation times.
“With two breweries operating together, we will have the space and capacity to brew more beers, like lagers, that can take anywhere from eight to twelve weeks to ferment,” explained Jamie Floyd, the founding brewer and co-founder of Ninkasi. “We’ll also have the capacity to brew more under our Rare and Delicious Series, exploring new beer styles and ingredients.”
Press Release from Ninkasi Brewery Company
Thanks for the Ninkasi update. Visited the brewery last year. Hope they found some parking.