Cisco Brewers Portsmouth unveils $6 million canning line: 'More beer in more hands'

PORTSMOUTH — The city known for centuries of beer production is seeing one of its modern-day breweries get a boost to sharply increase its capacity and meet beer drinkers' demand for cans.

Cisco Brewers was founded in Nantucket and arrived in Portsmouth in 2018 to replace the former Redhook Brewery at Pease International Tradeport. Cisco on Friday unveiled a $6 million canning line, marking a big investment from its parent company.

Cisco is owned by Anheuser-Busch, the world’s largest brewing company, with a portfolio that includes Budweiser, Stella Artois, Michelob Ultra, Shock Top and Landshark Lager.

Construction at the Pease facility of the canning line, which snakes throughout the building and processes thousands of cans on its conveyor belt and machines, began in late 2022 and was completed early this year.

Nick Wright, general manager of the Cisco restaurant, retail and event operations, said the canning line produces 625 cases of beer per hour.

Nick Murray, general manager of the brewery, said the industry saw bottled beer popularity wane in the last decade as consumers started to favor sipping from cans, causing a shift in focus.

The can line allows Cisco Brewers to increase its own supply, as well as those for craft beer brands within the Anheuser-Busch umbrella, such as La Rubia, Platform Beer Co. and Whales Tale.

“It’s all to increase that volume, so we can get more beer in more consumers’ hands,” Murray said.

Anheuser-Busch announced the new canning line at would allow Cisco Brewers to brew and package roughly 29% more beer this year. In 2024, it will see a 56% production increase, according to the company.

According to Anheuser-Busch, the company owns and operates 120-plus facilities across the United States.

Cisco's beer canning line hailed

The brewery at Pease features roughly 50 fermentation tanks producing several Anheuser-Busch beers. Wright, the general manager, on Friday showed off the new smooth-running canning line in tours for invited guests, including Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire. Public tours of the brewery, which have not occurred since the onset of the pandemic, are set to resume this spring.

One person would need to drink five pints of beer every day for 67 years to empty one of the fermentation tanks, Wright noted.

“It’s bringing a lot more attraction, a lot more jobs, a lot more people,” Wright said of the expansion. “The vibe that goes around with that is definitely increasing. With all this going on and all this attention, there’s going to be more guests that celebrate this great achievement with us.”

Anheuser-Busch Chief Executive Officer Brendan Whitworth, visiting from New York City, commemorated the completion of the canning with elected officials, including Portsmouth Assistant Mayor Joanna Kelley, state Sen. Rebecca Perkins-Kwoka, D-Portsmouth, Hassan and brewery staff.

Whitworth, who at one point led the business’ Northeast region and frequented Portsmouth, told attendees the company prefers to invest in local facilities.

“Coming into the breweries is one of my favorite things to do,” he said. “It’s where it happens. It’s where our products come from, it’s where a vast majority of our 19,000 employees in the U.S. work to create these amazing products.”

Hassan alluded to Portsmouth's brewing history, including beer tycoon and elected official Frank Jones in the late 19th century. Hassan noted breweries play a vital role in the economy, create jobs and are enjoyed by elected officials on both sides of the aisle.

Echoing Whitworth’s comments, Hassan, who has supported tax cuts for craft brewers in the past, said any day you get to visit a brewery for work is a good day.

“This expansion will make sure that Portsmouth remains one of the best beer destinations in the country,” she said.

The existing facility at Pease was built in 1996 as Redhook Brewery, constructed as an exact replica of the original Redhook Brewery in Woodinville, Washington. Now known as Cisco Brewers Portsmouth, the building has expanded to more than 104,000 square feet, with 92,000 square feet dedicated to beer production. Event space and the brewpub make up the remainder of the building.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Cisco Brewers Portsmouth unveils $6M Anheuser-Busch canning line