By Julia Burke, Beer Editor

Ithaca Beer Company will break ground today on the construction of a new brewery directly behind the current location on Route 13 in Ithaca, New York.

The new brewery will triple Ithaca Beer's current capacity; the brewery announces that it will have the capacity to brew and bottle half a million cases of beer, up from 180,000 this year.

Most exciting for visitors, the new facility will feature an expanded tasting room and a brewpub specializing in wood-fire pizzas — an ideal pairing for Ithaca's dynamic, often-hoppy lineup.

An outdoor beer garden will allow visitors to enjoy Ithaca's beer and food amidst the "gorges" scenery of the Cayuga Lake area. Those who have visited the brewery in the past know that these changes will dramatically improve the experience of Ithaca Beer as an afternoon destination and hangout rather than just a tasting bar and store.

Marketing Director Allison Graffin said the production facility should be up and running by early spring, and the tasting room and brewpub by May 2012. We congratulate one of the top breweries in New York on this exciting sign of success, and look forward to tasting those pizzas with a pint of "Groundbreak" spring seasonal.