WARWICK – Proclamation Ale Co. has completed its move from a small space in South Kingstown to a new facility near T.F. Green Airport that will allow it to increase its production six times over.
The craft brewery is now located in a portion of the Dean Warehouse Services Inc. massive building on Jefferson Boulevard.
On completion of renovations, the 16,000-square-foot space will include a 3,000-square-foot tasting room, which will allow the brewery to accommodate as many as 175 to 200 patrons, according to Proclamation Ale President Dave Witham.
The craft brewery was created in South Kingstown in 2013 and started making its first ales the following February. It’s primarily known for its India Pale Ales, Pale Ales and American Wild Ales. Witham, who is the majority owner, is joined by business partner Joshua Karten, who is vice president.
Their new facility will allow them to expand production to a brewing capacity of 6,000 barrels, he said, which will put the finished product in more locations. For the past eight months, he said, the demand for Proclamation beer grew so high that the business sold out routinely on-site before it could distribute product.
The move to a larger facility is a $1.5 million investment, he said.
A tentative opening for the tasting room is in late November.
The location, at 745 Jefferson St., soon will be marked with a sign, he said. Over the past several weeks, the company has slowly completed the move to the new location and had completed the testing of the new equipment.
A first run, of its first beer, the Tendril IPA, was in progress Monday when the business lost power in the storm that hit Rhode Island.
“Production has started now,” he said.
When the business opening is complete, he expects to hire another three or four people to assist with service at the front of the house. The tasting room is about six times the size of the original brewery.
Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at macdonald@pbn.com.
