Breweries

Ecliptic Brewing sells

Ecliptic Brewing in Portland, Oregon has announced the brewery has been sold.

Ecliptic Brewing announced this week that the brewery has officially been sold, per the brewery’s owner and brewmaster John Harris.

In an Instagram announcement, the Harris stated the Continue Reading →

Pontoon Brewing closing October 28th

Atlanta-based Pontoon Brewing will close both their locations on October 28th.

As is pretty standard these days, Pontoon Brewing took to Instagram to announce the brewery will close their doors after their last scheduled event on October 28th. In the Continue Reading →

PICS: Scofflaw 7th Anniversary

Scofflaw Brewing celebrated 7 years at their MacArthur location in Atlanta, Georgia on September 16th, 2023.

Notably, the brewery showed off their Goat Mob Bourbon membership program and new bourbon blends.

All images: Beer Street Journal

Posted in Beer News, Brewery Acquisitions, Ecliptic Brewing, Headlines

Ecliptic Brewing sells

Ecliptic Brewing in Portland, Oregon has announced the brewery has been sold.

Ecliptic Brewing announced this week that the brewery has officially been sold, per the brewery’s owner and brewmaster John Harris.

In an Instagram announcement, the Harris stated the last two years of brewery operations have been challenging – citing the pandemic, rising cost of goods, and overall economic climate. “It has gotten to the point where we are no longer able to continue operations, and the company has been sold,” the statement reads.

“A Bigger Entity.”

Harris mentioned in the statement that the sale will allow the brewery to pay back debts with a “bigger entity” – which has now been disclosed as Great Frontier Holdings that includes Ninkasi Brewing and Wings & Arrow Beer Company.

The restaurant will be open through Saturday, November 18th.

The Ecliptic Brewing beers and production will presumably continue on through Great Frontier Holdings channels.

Ecliptic Brewing opened their “Mothership” restaurant and brewery in October of 2013. In November 2021, Ecliptic took over Base Camp Brewing’s space in southeast Portland- renaming the location “The Moon Room.”

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Headlines, Virtue Cider

Anheuser-Busch sells Virtue Cider back to owner

Quietly, Fennville, Michigan’s Virtue Cider has returned back into the hands of the founder Greg Hall.

Virtue Cider is no longer part of Anheuser-Busch. This deal took place back in August, around the same time Anheuser Busch was selling off eight brands to Tilray, and has been flying almost completely under the radar until a mention of the sale surfaced this week in Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.

After reaching out to Virtue Cider, a spokesperson with the A-B Craft Division confirms that Greg Hall reaquired the cidery back in August. Per the email:

Today we announced an agreement to purchase Virtue Cider from our partners at Anheuser-Busch. It’s been a great five years with Anheuser-Busch, and I want to thank my colleagues and fellow craft brewery founders for believing in Virtue Cider and helping us create some of the best cider in the world.

Moving forward, we’ll continue to focus on what we’ve always done: making world-class ciders that are fit for the table, being great stewards of the environment, and helping more people discover Fennville and all that Southwest Michigan has to offer.

Greg Hall, Founder, Virtue Cider

In 2015 it was reported that Virtue Cider had fallen behind financially. Ultimately Hall decided to sell off the controlling stake in Virtue to Anheuser Busch. In 2017, A-B bought the remaining stake in September 2017.

Fast forward to 2023, AB InBev has lost billions over the summer after a failed marketing campaign, and as mentioned earlier, sold off numerous brands including Shock Top, in their portfolio off to cannabis company, Tilray.

The deal is still pending approval through the Michigan Liquor Control Commission. The financials of the deal and closing date were not disclosed.

Beer Street Journal visited Virtue Cider earlier this summer. It’s a bit off the beaten path, but quite peaceful (and delicious).

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Brewery Closures, Don't Miss This, Pontoon Brewing

Pontoon Brewing closing October 28th

Atlanta-based Pontoon Brewing will close both their locations on October 28th.

As is pretty standard these days, Pontoon Brewing took to Instagram to announce the brewery will close their doors after their last scheduled event on October 28th. In the post, Pontoon blames a lack of payments from their main distributing partner for the brewery’s demise, stopping short of naming which distributor that has not paid the brewery.

With the current state of the economy, it’s been a bumpier ride than anticipated, but we continued to grow strike up new partnerships, grow our team, and shine bright! That said, due to one of our main distribution partners not paying us for our product, we are faced with a dire situation and are forced to temporarily close our doors while we find a new partner or buyer for the business. 

Pontoon Brewing via Instagram

An email shared anonymously this week from an employee at Pontoon to unknown recipients, was much more direct, stating “Pontoon Brewing closing its doors.”

PICS: PONTOON BREWING’S 2ND ANNIVERSARY

Pontoon Brewing opened it’s doors in Sandy Springs, Georgia in January of 2018, and opening a 2nd location dubbed “The Lodge” in nearby Tucker, Georgia in September 2022.

Messages to Pontoon Brewing were not immediately returned.

Below, Beer Street Journal images of Pontoon Brewing’s ribbon cutting ceremony from January 2018.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Birds Fly South Ale Project, Brewery Closures, Headlines

Birds Fly South Ale Project to close October 10th

Greenville, South Carolina’s Birds Fly South has announced they will close on October 10th, 2023.

Shawn and Lindsay Johnson started Birds Fly South Ale Project 7 years ago in the Hampton Station area of Greenville, South Carolina. The couple met and married while Shawn was in the Coast Guard in Clearwater, Florida. Shortly after getting married, the opportunity came for the Johnsons to move to either Hawaii or Alaska and they chose Alaska. As you can imagine, the weather in America’s 49th state isn’t as conducive to outdoor activities as Florida, so they took up brewing beer. Indoors.

A few years later, the family transferred back to Florida, and that’s where Shawn & Lindsay’s brewing career really took off. From the first time Beer Street Journal met Shawn, he always spoke so highly of his brewing mentor, Bob Sylvester, founder of St. Somewhere Brewing in Tampa, Florida.

Before Greenville, there was a stop in Washington D.C., putting in time assisting in the opening of Fair Winds Brewing Company, then getting transferred to South Carolina.

Last night, Shawn and Lindsay announced on Instagram the brewery would close after their final jazz event on October 10th.

We wish that this was a fairy tale ending, but recognize all good things must come to an end.  Timing is everything, and we embarked on an expansion to increase our taproom sales that have taken a hit over the last year.  We don’t regret that decision, only the way we went about it.
 
The silver lining is that we are able to step away from the stress of running a business to have more time to focus on our family.  This is our opportunity to embark on a new adventure and enjoy a new pace of life.

Birds Fly South via Instagram

On a personal note, Shawn and Lindsay, as well as the entire brewery crew and fans they call “The Flock” are some of the kindest, outgoing, family-focused breweries I’ve ever been to. Their wild ale Skin & Bone is still one of the best of its kind In the southeast. It’s heartbreaking to hear this brewery won’t be there on the next trip to Greenville.

Below are some pics from Beer Street Journal’s first visit to Birds Fly South, featuring Shawn, Lindsay, and family back in August of 2016.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Scofflaw Brewing Co.

Scofflaw Brewing’s 7th Anniversary

Scofflaw Brewing’s 7th Anniversary pictures. Captured by Beer Street Journal.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Scofflaw Brewing Co.

PICS: Scofflaw 7th Anniversary

Scofflaw Brewing celebrated 7 years at their MacArthur location in Atlanta, Georgia on September 16th, 2023.

Notably, the brewery showed off their Goat Mob Bourbon membership program and new bourbon blends.

All images: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Founders Brewing, Headlines, New Releases

Founders KBS Spicy Chocolate brings the heat this fall

Founders KBS Spicy Chocolate is a bold and fiery addition to Founders’ Kentucky Breakfast Stout lineup, a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout debuting in fall 2023.

Inspired by mole, this variant infuses coffee, dried chili peppers with both chocolate and chocolate syrup into the classic KBS profile of coffee, dark chocolate, and bourbon, delivering a complex interplay of subtle heat, cocoa depth, and roasted malt. Expect an enticing aroma of chili-spiced chocolate and coffee, with a full-bodied, velvety mouthfeel and lingering warmth from the peppers, balanced by oak and vanilla notes. A daring, indulgent stout for adventurous palates.

KBS Spicy Chocolate blends sweet and spicy flavors in a sensory symphony. Crafted with dried chilies and chocolate, this KBS batch delivers a rich, mole-inspired punch. Expect dark chocolate and dried pepper notes with hints of smoke and a spicy finish that lingers just long enough to be cooled by your next sip. A unique and unexpected twist on our KBS.

Founders KBS Spicy Chocolate is available in 12-ounce bottles and draft for a limited time.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Coffee. Chili Peppers. Chocolate. Barrel-Aged. Bourbon)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft. Limited Release.

Debut: Fall 2023

12% ABV

by Reid Ramsay