Cycle Brewing will close their St. Petersburg, Florida brewery this month after 12 years of operation.
One of Florida’s most beloved breweries, Cycle Brewing, and St. Petersburg’s first craft brewery, will close this month, founder Doug Dozark announced in a post on X. A British-themed Green Turtle Brewery will replace it at the same location.
Cycle Brewing’s journey began in 2009 in Gulfport, where Dozark brewed beer in his mother’s restaurant kitchen on weekends while working at Cigar City Brewing. It launched in St. Pete in 2013, with now-legendary beers like Rare Dos, Cream and Sugar, and Crank, plus popular “Days of the Week”-named beers. The brewery is waiting to sell its lease at 534 Central Avenue, which ends on May 31, 2026, to the Green Turtle Brewery. The brewing equipment, taproom, and bar are included in the lease transfer.
The beer industry is facing a clear downturn. The Brewers Association’s 2024 report noted that 2024 was the first year since 2005 when the number of U.S. craft breweries declined, dropping to 9,680 from 9,747 in 2023. Both craft and macro beer volumes also fell over the past year.
Dozark has stated multiple times, including in Instagram Live videos, that craft beer, particularly Cycle Brewing’s distinctive style, no longer holds the same appeal as it did years ago. He is deeply disillusioned.
Thanks to Cycle’s barrel-aging program, Dozark plans to sell remaining barrel-aged beers at a retail location after the taproom closes.
Dozark has not shared his plans after Cycle Brewing closes.
