ASHEVILLE – New Belgium Brewing Co. is preparing to reopen its Asheville taproom after it was closed for more than two months due to Tropical Storm Helene.
New Belgium’s taprom and Liquid Center production facility closed for the historic Sept. 27 storm at 21 Craven St. in West Asheville.
On Dec. 16, New Belgium’s taproom will reopen from noon-8 p.m. and resume regular hours of operation.
New Belgium’s Helene impact
New Belgium sits on the banks of the French Broad River along a stretch of the greenway and overlooks the River Arts District.
On Dec. 9, a statement from New Belgium was submitted by spokesperson Michaela Eagan stating that the Asheville brewery and operations were significantly impacted by the storm and remediation efforts are underway, including assessing equipment damage.
Views of the River Arts District floods from New Belgium Brewing during the floods after Tropical Storm Helene.
During the soft reopening, the brewery will run in a limited capacity.
“We have been in frequent communication with our business partners as we’ve worked to mitigate disruptions to our order fulfillment capabilities,” the statement read.
“We’ve made several strategic adjustments to our portfolio to support our business partners across the country, including increasing production across our sites in Fort Collins, CO, Daleville, VA, and Comstock, MI, as well as bringing on a third-party co-manufacturer to help with supplemental production.”
Helping during Helene
New Belgium stated that staff safety and well-being were prioritized in the weeks following Helene, and that resource communication channels were established to provide ongoing support.
Staff members are intended to begin returning to work as the brewery campus reopens.
New Belgium Brewing’s Asheville campus is off the French Broad River and is a popular watering hole for tourists and locals.
New Belgium reported Helene outreach has included making financial commitments to Asheville Food Connection Inc, Asheville GreenWorks, Asheville Humane Society, BeLoved Asheville, Impact Health, Manna Foodbank, Mountain True, Poder Emma, Wine to Water and the United Way’s North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund.
A fundraising campaign and critical supply donation drive were launched, supported by New Belgium employees and business partners nationwide.
The brewery served as a potable and nonpotable water distribution station with Wine to Water and a residential recycling site with Asheville GreenWorks and Curbside Management.
“We recognize this work will need to be prioritized in the months and years ahead,” New Belgium stated. “We will bring forward additional support and resources as our community continues to heal.”
For more, visit newbelgium.com and follow @newbelgium_avl on Instagram.
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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and covered the arts, entertainment and hospitality in Louisiana for several years. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: What to know about New Belgium’s reopening after Tropical Storm Helene