Stone Brewing’s long-awaited facility in Berlin, Germany is now officially up and running -- brewing and distributing beers, the San Diego-based company said Thursday.
According to Stone, the new facility is now distributing beers across 17 countries in Europe including Austria, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Poland, to name a few.
With this, Stone has become the first U.S.-based craft brewery to independently build, own and operate a brewery in Europe, the company said.
“We are very excited that our state-of-the-art brewery is online and that kegging and canning are underway,” said Greg Koch, Stone CEO and co-founder, in a news release. “I’m proud of the job Team Stone has done…the facility is amazingly beautiful, the beers are tasting really incredible and this is a spectacular, monumental moment for American craft beer as a whole.”
Stone’s Director of Brewing Operations, Thomas Tyrell is running the Berlin venture. He's been in the international beer business for the past 25 years. Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Berlin is set to open to the public this summer.
Stone’s other current projects include a tap room planned for wine country in Napa, California, and Stone Brewing – Richmond, a 250-barrel brewhouse in Richmond, Virginia.
Stone Brewing is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary. The Escondido-based company was founded by Koch and Steve Wagner in 1996 and is the 10th largest craft brewer in the United States.
