Deschutes in Virginia

While I was in Dublin, Deschutes announced it would be opening a new production facility in Roanoke, Virginia. Three east coast states were wooing the brewery, but Virginia got the call.

[Virginia Governor Terry] McAuliffe met with Deschutes executives in Oregon last fall and company officials recently visited Richmond, where they enjoyed Deschutes beer in the Executive Mansion kegerator before telling the governor that Virginia won the bid, said Todd Haymore, Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry.

... Deschutes is getting a $3 million state grant for the project and will be eligible for additional state aid, officials said.

It's going to be a very slow process--Deschutes doesn't even plan to break ground until 2019. There doesn't seem to be any suggestion that this augurs a future change in ownership, so it looks like Deschutes is going to try to compete with AB InBev, MillerCoors, Constellation Brands, and Heineken on its own terms. That could be some tough sledding, but it certainly adds some intrigue to the market as it shapes up.

Interesting times. Anyone have any hot takes on this news?