White Claw Hard Seltzer to open $250m plant

Chicago-based Mark Anthony Brewing will invest more than US$250 million in opening a new facility for its White Claw Hard Seltzer brand in Arizona to meet “explosive demand”.

White Claw is a leading hard seltzer brand in the US

The new “state-of-the-art” White Claw site will be located in Glendale, Arizona, in the US, with construction expected to be completed in “record time”. The 916,000-square-foot facility is projected to be up and running in under seven months with an expected opening date of June 2020.

“The primary reason we selected Glendale was the innovative thinking and personal support of governor Doug Ducey, the city of Glendale, the Arizona Commerce Authority, and their willingness to embrace our vision and commit to the support required for our rapid build-out and aggressive timeline,” said Mark Anthony Brewing president John Sacksteder.

“Once complete, this new facility will be a beacon for the advanced manufacturing capabilities of the city of Glendale and the state of Arizona.”

The new site will incorporate the company’s ‘brewpure’ process, which is used to make White Claw, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Mike’s Harder Lemonade and Cayman Jack Cocktails.

The project is expected to create more than 200 full-time jobs once operational.

The hard seltzer category is predicted to more than triple in size in the US by 2023 to reach 281m nine-litre cases, according to a recent report by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.

Mark Anthony Brewing is part of Vancouver-headquartered alcohol firm Mark Anthony Group. For 2020, Mark Anthony Group predicts sales of around US$4 billion.

The company’s Dublin-based distribution arm, Mark Anthony Brands International, recently acquired the remaining 60% stake in Ireland’s Glendalough Distillery for an undisclosed sum.