South County Brewing is expanding to a 13-acre wooded property in York Township in York, PA. The brewery expects the buildout to take 18 months, add around 25 employees, and turn their Fawn Grove location into a retail location for the brewery.
South County Brewing was founded in 2011 and has proven itself in the craft beer community with innovative and consistent brands. The brewery is best known for producing New England IPA’s, DIPA’s and fruited beers, while also making the classic styles well. Under a new local ownership structure, South County will be expanding and moving its main operations to York, PA, to support market demand and offer an on-site craft beer experience.
The company has worked extensively with B&D Builders, ERS Architects and RGS Associates to develop a brand new 27,000 sq. ft. facility on 13 acres, surrounded by a woodland backdrop. The new location will have an expanded retail experience, increased brewing capability, a full-service restaurant, a music venue, and expansive outdoor spaces. The restaurant and retail area will be in a large 2-story timber frame with a large loft and fireplaces. The exterior space will be anchored by a large timber frame pavilion, fireplace, kitchen, bar, and expansive outdoor patio.
To keep up with demand, the new location will have a new 4-vessel automated 30-barrel brewhouse, extensive cellar capacity, automated centrifuge, rotary packaging line, numerous process improvements, and quality control systems. The brewery’s original production area will remain online until the new facility is operational at which time existing equipment will be moved. South County will also be expanding its offerings to include more barrel-aged beers, fruited wood-aged sours, and whiskey and bourbon. A custom-made Vendome copper still from Kentucky with rickhouses for aging will round out the project.
“We wanted to make sure that moving forward we have the tools and capacity to continue to be successful. Offering an incredible destination experience will be key to our long-term success. This is a significant investment in the company and even during these challenging times, we are ready to engage our next chapter. Our new home will allow us to create more unique offerings, increase efficiencies, and engage other passions such as bourbon and whiskey. Also, having more cellar capacity will also allow us to keep up with retail sales and help us fill the market demand for packaged beer. The excellent proximity to Interstate 83 and ample on-site parking will provide our beer fans with a very convenient venue to enjoy the South County experience. York Township has been an extremely welcoming partner to our vision and we are excited to grow with the community.” – South County. Brewery Owners
