Fifty West expanding, adding larger production facility

Fifty West Brewing Company, which opened three years ago next month, recently announced an expansion that will add a larger production facility across the street from its brewpub and taproom at 7668 Wooster Pike.
 
The newly acquired property was formerly Hahana Beach, a bar and sand volleyball court complex. Fifty West plans to keep the existing volleyball courts and run its own leagues as well as open Fifty West Cycling. The cycling outfit will sell, service and in the future rent bicycles to customers who want to ride along the nearby Little Miami Scenic Trail.
 
Fifty West’s existing brewpub and taproom will remain as is. Its current brewery setup will be used as a pilot system for specialty, one-off or experimental beers, while the new production facility will focus on its large-scale core beers, which will be brewed in four 40-barrel fermenters.
 
The larger setup will allow for increased production — about 4,000-5,000 barrels annually, with room to grow. There are also plans to package about 10 percent of the brewery’s beer in 2016.
 
Construction is expected to continue early next year, with an opening date potentially in the late spring or early summer.