Today, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, Calif., announced that it will expand its operations to include a new brewing facility in western North Carolina. The site, approximately 90 acres in the Henderson County town of Mills River and 12 miles south of Asheville, will be home to the new production facility, as well as a proposed restaurant, come 2014.

“We are thrilled to have found an ideal location in western North Carolina for our second brewery,” says Ken Grossman, founder of Sierra Nevada. “The beer culture, water quality and quality of life are excellent. We feel lucky to be a part of this community.”

The new facility will add much needed capacity for Sierra Nevada, and will allow for the quick shipment of brewery-fresh beer to consumers in the east. The East Coast brewery will start with a capacity around 300,000 barrels, with room to grow. The added barrelage will accommodate wider production of the myriad of seasonal beers and bottled specialties Sierra Nevada has produced in recent years, as well as an expansion of the brewery’s well-known flagship product: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.