Ballast Point expands to Chicago with brewery and restaurant

Never mind that Ballast Point’s parent Constellation Brands wrote down USD 87 million on the value of the brewery in its first quarter 2018 results because Ballast Point (bought for USD 1 billion in November 2015) “has not performed to expectations from a growth standpoint”, its national expansion continues smoothly.

The San Diego-based craft brewer plans to open a 1,200 sqm space with a three-barrel brewing system and a tasting room in Chicago in early 2018, it was announced on 27 July 2017.

The news comes as Ballast Point is putting the finishing touches on a 300,000 hl production brewery in Daleville, Virginia, on the East Coast, which is expected to go on-stream in mid-August. Nearby, Ballast Point has already opened a tasting room with 128 taps.

Last year, Ballast Point sold more than 440,000 hl beer, it was reported.

The Chicago taproom will be Ballast Point’s seventh. Besides the one Virginia, there are four in San Diego and one in Long Beach, Los Angeles.