I had the chance to visit Lagunitas Brewing Company’s recent “Sneaky Peek” party for industry retailers, distributors and partners to get an early look at the Azusa brewery compound that is scheduled to open in 2017.

Right now, the site of the future brewery at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains is mostly vast open spaces, expansive parking lots and three gigantic buildings. All three structures are currently just building shells, but it’s not hard to imagine what they’ll look like in a year. The site was perfect for a party, complete with music, tours and, of course, Lagunitas beer.

When it’s complete, the future Lagunitas facility will be the largest craft beer brewery in the United States, with 250,000 square feet of space, including 178,000 for the three buildings, according to Lagunitas’ Director of Communications Karen Hamilton.

It’s not just size that matters for Lagunitas. The beer and the site’s amenities will make this a true destination.

This will be the kind of place that will bring in outof-town visitors, all the while pumping up the economy with additional spending in Azusa and surrounding cities.

Lagunitas will add some 150 to 200 new employees in 2017, which will further boost its positive local and regional economic impact.

Building No. 1 is where the magic happens. It’s where the beer will be made and where the public will congregate. Included in that building will be a 5,000-square-foot taproom that looks down on the brewery operations.

The Lagunitas swag shop will be next to the taproom.

Catwalks will extend around the building interior so the public can wander freely (and safely) to observe the working brewery from high above. There also will be a rooftop seating area with an up-close panoramic view of the picturesque San Gabriel Mountains. Below will be a 300-seat outdoor amphitheater.

Upon opening, Lagunitas will have an output of 420,000 barrels per year. Over time, the brewery will expand to a maximum capacity of 1.8 million barrels, says Hamilton. They’ll open with one 250-barrel brew house and will eventually expand to three 250-barrel brew houses.

The other buildings will handle the bottling and kegging operations, as well as storage.

So why build a craft beer Taj Mahal in Azusa?

Two primary reasons: location and the water. Southwest United States is one of Lagunitas’ top sales areas, and it’s no secret that Southern California is already a hotbed for craft breweries and craft beer enthusiasts.

Perhaps more important is the water, which comes from the mountain streams in the adjacent San Gabriel Mountains. The brewery location at the base of the mountains is right at the mouth of the water source.

Makes sense to me… So go ahead and add another name to the long list of great Southern California craft breweries.