SAINT JOHN, NB – Moosehead Breweries has announced that it will not be going ahead with plans to open a small batch brewery on the Port of Saint John waterfront.
Originally announced last June, with the location confirmed in September, the new facility was intended to open in 2017 to mark the 150th anniversary of Moosehead, and was planned to be “a centre for education and innovation” featuring a tasting room, retail store, and two brewing systems that would “allow the company to explore new product development and new brewing techniques.”
According to a post on the Moosehead Beer Academy blog, the decision to scrap the project was purely financial:
[As] we moved deeper into the planning phase of the project, we quickly began to get clarity on the overall project costs. The costs were more than anticipated, and although we tried everything we could, it became apparent that our scenario would push the project costs above acceptable levels.
The post also notes that “the original vision – creating a place where we can brew small batches of beer, and build our relationship with our customers in a more personal way – is still alive,” and Moosehead will be exploring other potential locations for the new brewery in coming months.
For more details, see the full announcement from Moosehead.