Brewery Closures

Braselton Brewing closes in Georgia

Braselton Brewing Company, a brewpub housed in a historic 1920 cotton gin in downtown Braselton, Georgia, has closed its doors, marking the end of a nearly 7 year run.

Opened in December 2018 by Todd Braselton, the brewery gained local popularity, Continue Reading →

Duck Rabbit Brewery closes after 20 years

Duck Rabbit Brewery has closed after 20 years in Farmville, North Carolina.

Duck Rabbit Craft Brewery, a fixture of North Carolina’s craft beer scene since 2004, has ended its 20-year run. The Farmville-based brewery, best known for its Milk Stout and Continue Reading →

Posted in Brewery Closures, Headlines, Iron Hill Brewing

Iron Hill Brewery Closes Three Locations Including Original Newark Flagship

Mid-Atlantic brewpub chain shuts down restaurants in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey as industry consolidation accelerates

Iron Hill Brewery delivered shocking news to employees and customers yesterday morning, announcing the immediate closure of three locations including its flagship Newark, Delaware brewpub that launched the company nearly 30 years ago. The sudden shutdowns affect restaurants in Newark, Philadelphia’s Chestnut Hill neighborhood, and Voorhees, New Jersey, leaving 16 locations still operating across the Mid-Atlantic region.

part of what CEO Mark Kirke called “ongoing efforts to adapt to a changing business landscape while focusing on strengthening its long-term growth and success.”

The End of an Era

The Newark closure represents a particularly poignant in the history of Iron Hill. The Main Street location would have turned 30 in 2026 and has long served as the “proof-of-concept” when three home brewers—Kevin Finn, Mark Edelson, and Kevin Davies launched the brewery in 1996.

By 2016 in Iron Hill’s 20th year, they had a dozen restaurants, evolving from Main Street in Newark into a regional chain with scratch kitchen and craft beers. Over the past decade, Iron Hill has expanded beyond the Mid-Atlantic region in Greenville, South Carolina, and two locations in Atlanta, including Buckhead that was since closed.

Industry Pressures Mount

The beer industry is still going through a financial overhaul. 21st Amendment announced their closure in the past week after 25 years. As for Iron Hill, the brewery closed locations in Ardmore and Phoenixville PA last year. The company hired a new CEO earlier this year who focusing on growth, efficiency and difficult decisions about underperforming locations.

As Beer Street Journal has reported in the past, the craft beer industry has faced unprecedented headwinds in 2025. U.S. craft brewers produced 23.1 million barrels in 2024, down 4% from 2023, marking the largest volume decline since the 2020 pandemic. Closures outpace openings nationwide for the first time in 2024, ending a run since 2005.

Down but not out

Despite these closures, Iron Hill states they are still dedicated the the brewery and brand at large. “While we are closing a few locations, this is truly part of a larger growth story—we are evolving, strengthening our brand, and positioning Iron Hill for long-term success,” said Mark Kirke, CEO of Iron Hill.

Iron Hill announced it would open its 20th restaurant on Temple University’s campus back in December, with the project being approved by Temple’s board of Trustees. Nothing more has been announced about that project going forward.

Location Losses

The three closing locations closing:

  • Newark, Delaware (147 East Main Street): The original flagship location where Iron Hill’s journey began in 1996
  • Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia (8400 Germantown Avenue): Opened in 2012 in an upscale neighborhood market
  • Voorhees, New Jersey (13107 Town Center Boulevard): Iron Hill’s 10th location, opened in 2013 in a suburban shopping center

Iron Hill Brewery has 16 locations left after the recent closures. Below are pictures from the media preview of Iron Hill Buckhead by Beer Street Journal.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in 21st Amendment Brewing, Beer News, Brewery Closures, Headlines

21st Amendment Brewery Shuts Down After 25 Years

Bay Area craft beer pioneer 21st Amendment to close both San Francisco brewpub and San Leandro production facility by November

In a stunning turn of events that is sure to shake the craft beer industry, 21st Amendment Brewery has announced it will permanently cease operations after 25 years in business. The San Francisco-born brewery, known for iconic beers like Hell or High Watermelon Wheat and Brew Free! or Die IPA, will shutter both its original Second Street brewpub near Oracle Park and its massive San Leandro production facility by early November.

The closure comes just one week after co-founders Shaun O’Sullivan and Nico Freccia announced they were stepping back from daily operations to bring in a new CEO as part of an ambitious partnership aimed at diversifying beyond beer production. Those plans collapsed when the brewery’s financial lender withdrew support, citing the company’s ongoing “cash bleed” and beer industry-wide downturn.

“The brewery’s lender informed them that it would no longer fund the company due to its ‘cash bleed,’ prompting the decision to close.”

Rough Waters

21st Amendment’s demise reflects a confluence of factors hammering craft breweries nationwide. Sales have dropped approximately 20% every year since 2021, according to co-founder Freccia, who spoke with multiple media outlets about the closure. T

The brewery, which ranked among the nation’s top 50 craft producers by volume from 2016 to 2019, has struggled to maintain relevance as consumer preferences shift toward hard seltzers, ready-to-drink cocktails, and lower-alcohol alternatives.

The COVID-19 pandemic proved particularly devastating for 21st Amendment. Distribution partnerships dissolved, including a key relationship with Brooklyn Brewery that had enabled national expansion. A dispute with a can supplier further constrained operations, forcing the brewery onto allocation-only basis for shipping. Meanwhile, the San Francisco brewpub has operated at just 40% of pre-pandemic capacity.

The 95.000 square foot San Leandro facility opened in 2015 in a former Kellogg’s cereal factory, at a time when craft beer was growing double digits annually.

The Legacy

Founded in 2000 during San Francisco’s dot-com boom, 21st Amendment helped pioneer the craft-beer-in-cans movement that would later sweep the industry. The brewery’s Second Street location, positioned strategically near what was then the new Pac Bell Park, became a watering hole for Giants fans and beer fans alike.

The San Leandro expansion represented 21st Amendments growing ambitions, with capacity to produce more than 375,000 barrels annually and room to even double that. At its peak, 21st Amendment ranked as the 26th largest craft brewery in the country by volume, per the Brewers Association.

Will There Be A Savior?

The founders remain hopeful that a buyer will emerge to continue 21st Amendment into the future. The brewery is actively seeking purchasers for either the brand, the facilities, or both. However, recent history suggests such rescues are increasingly rare in the current market environment – especially using Anchor Brewing that hasn’t found a sustainable paths forward after ownership changes.

The San Francisco brewpub is expected to close first, possibly as early as September 28 to coincide with the Giants’ final regular season home game. The San Leandro facility will wind down production over the next 60 days, with November 4 marked as the official closure date.

21st Amendment’s closure represents another significant loss for San Francisco’s once-thriving craft beer scene, joining recent casualties including Anchor Brewing, City Beer Store, and Sunset Reservoir Brewing Company. For an industry that once seemed unstoppable, the shuttering of such a prominent player serves as a sobering reminder of how dramatically the landscape has shifted in just a few short years.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Braselton Brewing, Brewery Closures, Headlines

Braselton Brewing closes in Georgia

Braselton Brewing Company, a brewpub housed in a historic 1920 cotton gin in downtown Braselton, Georgia, has closed its doors, marking the end of a nearly 7 year run.

Opened in December 2018 by Todd Braselton, the brewery gained local popularity, offering a pet-friendly patio, comfort food, and beers like the Hefe That Killed Elvis and Government Shutdown. Inspired by the Pacific Northwest’s brewpub culture, the venue blended industrial-chic looks with a relaxed social setting.

According to an Instagram post, Brazelton cites rising food costs since the pandemic, and a 200% increase in insurance costs.

To all our Customers, Employees, Vendors, Friends and all the other people that supports us, we are closing Braselton Brewing Company for good on Monday July 28. We will be staying open as just a taproom serving beer and wine for some limited time.

The combination of rising operating costs coupled with the slowing demand for craft beer has left us no other choice but to close our doors. Food costs have increased for us about 30-40% since Covid. Our insurance costs have doubled since we opened in late 2018. These are just 2 examples of the financial strains on our business.

We join a number of other Georgia breweries that have closed since Covid. Many of these closing are due to the failure of Georgia politicians to adopt alcohol distribution laws similar to those of many states.

Thank you again to all our supporters and friends for supporting us for the last six and half years.

Brazelton Brewing, July 28th, 2025

Recently, Georgia has lost a few other breweries, including Jekyll Brewing, Elsewhere Brewing, Best End Brewing, Torched Hop Brewing, Red Hare Brewing and Eventide Brewing.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Beer News, Brewery Closures, Don't Miss This, Duck Rabbit Brewery

Duck Rabbit Brewery closes after 20 years

Duck Rabbit Brewery has closed after 20 years in Farmville, North Carolina.

Duck Rabbit Craft Brewery, a fixture of North Carolina’s craft beer scene since 2004, has ended its 20-year run. The Farmville-based brewery, best known for its Milk Stout and Baltic Porter, cited mounting financial pressures as the reason for its closure.

Founded by Paul Philippon, a former philosophy professor, Duck Rabbit made dark beers its primary focus. At its peak, the brewery was distributed across six states and produced an estimated 3,000 barrels annually. By contrast, the town of Farmville, North Carolina, had a population of 4,546 in 2023.

The closure was driven by rising costs of hops, malt, and packaging, as well as supply chain disruptions and shifting consumer preferences toward seltzers and low-alcohol options.

The brewery’s name, “Duck Rabbit,” was inspired by the rabbit-duck illusion, an ambiguous drawing that can be seen as either a rabbit or a duck. First published in 1892, the image sparks philosophical discussions about perception, reflecting Philippon’s roots as a philosophy professor.

Duck Rabbit’s assets will be sold at auction to pay off outstanding debts. The brewery’s final weekend of operation was April 26–27, 2025, marking the end of its legacy in Farmville.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Brewery Closures, Cycle Brewing, Don't Miss This

Florida’s Cycle Brewing ends 12 year run this month

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.

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

Jekyll Brewing to cease all operations May 11th

Jekyll Brewing will close all locations and cease operations on Sunday, May 11, 2025.

Jekyll Brewing will close all their locations and cease all operations as of May 11th, according to founder Michael Lundmark.

Jekyll Brewing, opened their first location in Alpharetta, Georgia in 2013, a taproom dubbed the “Marconi Taproom.” (Presumably named for Marconi Drive on which it resides, not Guglielmo Marconi known for radio waves.) That brewery is the birthplace of one of Georgia’s well-known IPAs – Hop Dang Diggity.

In 2018, Jekyll opened their second location on Academy Street in downtown Alpharetta. The location hosted a larger taproom and brewery with 14 taps, food kitchen, plus a rooftop bar.

Gainesville, Georgia was the home of the brewery’s third location in February of 2020 on Larry Lane. The location was home to 20 taps, event space as well as a full-service kitchen.

In February 2025, Jekyll ceased all keg production, launching an industry rumor mill of impending closure. On Cinco De Mayo 2025, Lundmark made the official announcement on a local Facebook group that all locations would officially close on May 11th after 12 years.

Below, a Beer Street Journal video shot shortly after Jekyll Brewing opened in 2013.

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Brewery Closures, Don't Miss This, Red Hare Brewing

Red Hare Brewing silently closes last location

Marietta, Georgia-based Red Hare Brewing seems to have quietly closed their last remaining sometime after the start of 2025.

Red Hare Brewing was founded in 2011 on Delk Road in Marietta, Georgia. In 2018, it opened a second location in Shallotte, North Carolina. In 2020, Red Hare announced they would take over the Hemingway’s Bar and Grill building on Marietta Square in the downtown area over the coming months.

The North Carolina facility shuttered in 2022 after four years.

Just about a year ago, in March 2024, founder Bobby Thomas announced the brewery would close the original Delk Road location due to costs and inflation and move production to a smaller location in the future.

The Marietta Square location remained open through at least New Year’s Eve going into 2025.

It seems that the Marietta Square location has also closed without any announcement. Google has marked this location permanently closed. Social media and Reddit discussions mention that the location hasn’t opened in weeks now, and the brewery website has been taken down.

Emails to the owner return as undeliverable.

Since the Delk Road closure, no official announcement has been made about a permanent closure or a new production facility.

Currently, Red Hare Brewing has no open facilities.

by Reid Ramsay