San Diego – A group of leaders from Botetourt County traveled to San Diego in mid-April in anticipation of the opening of Ballast Point Brewing opening its East Coast location in Virginia’s Blue Ridge region.
While they were there, they learned how the company had grown from a small business to the nation’s 13th-largest brewer.
“I'm fortunate enough that I get to play around with microbes all day,” said Liz Nagle, a microbiologist in Ballast Point's $1 million testing lab.
Nagle’s job at Ballast Point, along with her associate Charles Moritz, is to monitor and test for microbes – the bacteria that can change the taste of beer. In the newly popular sour beers, for instance, bacteria is good. Any other time, not so much.
"Brewers make work. And yeast makes beer. And then the bacteria can screw up beer. So we're making sure we have the right kind of microbes in our beer,” Moritz said.
At Ballast Point, the beer moves four times from grain to glass. From the brew house to the fermenters to a filter pathway to the packaging.
At any of those points, there is a small chance bacteria could enter the system. The lab monitors to make sure that isn’t happening.
“We test every single one of those of those processes for microbial contamination just to track our hygiene and cleanliness,” Nagle explained.
Ballast Point has come a long way.
It wasn’t always this sophisticated for Ballast Point. The company started in 1992 as an experiment by founder Jack White. And then it just grew and grew.
The company started as a home-brewing store where the founders wanted to help home brewers get their own grains. In addition to the Home Brew Mart, there are now four locations in San Diego, two others in California and the soon-to-be location in Botetourt County.
The company has grown quickly, but still has its hometown flavor. The man behind the counter at the brew mart is credited with creating the formula for Sculpin, the company’s best-selling beer. It was just an experiment.
“It started with us bringing a keg or two to a couple other brewpubs; and of course the beer sold out in less than 45 minutes. Like I said, it was supposed to be just a one-time thing and then it took off,” said George Cataulin, creator of Sculpin.
Exploration is the word at the center of the company’s corporate culture. In addition to the wide variety of beers it already offers, such as the popular Sculpin IPA, the almost sweet Red Velvet or the sour Sea Rose, or the many others named after Pacific Ocean fish, there is an ongoing search for the next great flavor.
“Part of our mentality here is innovation. So were always coming out with new brands. We have white dark heavy happy shower we have everything,” said Christine Mansour, who works in marketing for the brewer.
Botetourt is getting closer to being ready.
Mansour says the operation in Botetourt will be larger than the one in Miramar – the company’s largest facility in San Diego. The cold room where the beer is stored prior to shipping, she explained, will be twice as large as Miramar’s.
The room, though not yet refrigerated, is already in place at the Botetourt facility. And there are plans to enlarge it as production ramps up.
The massive kettles are also in place and those in Botetourt are bigger than the ones in San Diego. The 300-barrel system will supply beer to the East Coast and even Europe.
Meanwhile, a 300-seat restaurant, based upon the design in San Diego is taking shape.
Kitchen equipment has been moved in and the infrastructure for the 108-tap tasting room is already in place. Although the building looks as if it has a long way to go before it is ready for the public, company officials are hopeful the tasting room could be open by Memorial Day.
As for county officials, they can’t wait.
“Economic development. Economic progress. We're trying to get more corporations in and a company like Ballast Point … . (It) brings a lot to Botetourt County,” said Billy Martin, a member of the board of supervisors who traveled with the group to San Diego.
“It's not just the jobs, it's not just the investment on this one. This is going to be a magnet for Botetourt County. To actually be able to attract people from around the East Coast around the United States and around the world that will be coming to Botetourt to experience Ballast Point,” county administrator Gary Larrowe said.