First and Only U.S. Trappist Brewery to Close
Spencer Brewery, the only Trappist brewery in the U.S., is closing its doors.
“After more than a year of consultation and reflection, the monks of St. Joseph’s Abbey have come to the sad conclusion that brewing is not a viable industry for us and that it is time to close the Spencer Brewery,” the brewery announced in a Facebook post Saturday. “Our beer will be available in our regular retail outlets while supplies last. Please keep us in your prayers.”
The 36,000 sq. ft. brewery opened on monastery grounds in Spencer, Massachusetts, in January 2014. Its year-round beers include Spencer Trappist Ale, Monks’ Reserve Ale Quad, Premium Pilsner and Monks’ IPA.
As done at traditional Trappist breweries, mainly in Belgium, the 54 St. Joseph’s Abbey monks who brew Spencer beers only produce enough to cover monastery operations, living expenses and charitable outreach. The tradition follows the Trappist practice of “ora et labora,” Latin for “pray and work.”
According to the brewery’s FAQ page – which is not dated – the brewery produced an average of 4,500 barrels of beer annually, with hopes to “grow gradually to approximately 10,000 barrels.” Its beers are distributed in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Washington, D.C., as well as internationally in Belgium, China, France, Italy, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan and Tokyo, Japan, according to the brewery’s website.
Spencer Brewery has recently sought help from Boston-based Northeastern University to create new advertising campaigns, in an effort to expand its distribution further outside of New England, Worcester Magazine reported.
Prior to the brewery, the monastery sustained their living with jams and jellies under the Trappist Preserves label for more than 60 years. They decided to open the brewery out “of necessity,” as their community began to grow and age, causing a “need for an additional enterprise that supports our community and charities in the years to come,” according to the brewery’s website.
Trappist breweries recognized by the International Trappist Association (ITA) still exist globally in Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, England, France and Spain.
Adelbert’s ‘Pushed Out’ of Location; Will Close in November
Austin, Texas-based Adelbert’s Brewery will close this fall after 11 years.
The brewery was informed by its landlord that its building at 2314 Rutland Drive had been sold, and “slated to be torn down and replaced with an office building,” the company announced in an Instagram post last month. The brewery will remain open until October 31.
“Rest assured that we will be producing that same beer that you have come to love over the years up until we can no longer,” the company continued in its post. “Our taproom will remain open for events, Austin FC games, and for those who are simply looking for a place to relax and congregate, until November. We will continue to persevere until the very end.”
Updating their Instagram post, the brewery said they will not be seeking a new location, noting that they had explored relocation at first, “but it is not an option for us, unfortunately.”
The news came as the brewery was planning a “month-long celebration” for its 10- and 11- year anniversaries, according to the brewery.
Adelbert’s produced 1,290 barrels of beer in 2020, the most recent year available from the Brewers Association (BA).
Dock Street West to Close; Dock Street South Will Remain Open, With New Fishtown Location to Follow
May will be the last month of operation for Dock Street Brewery West, the homebase of Philadelphia-based Dock Street Brewing Co., the brewery’s co-founder Rosemarie Certo announced.
“After 15 amazing years, Dock Street Brewery West’s time in the beautiful firehouse we called home is coming to an end,” Certo wrote. “I speak for all of us – present, past and future – when I say that Dock Street has an intense respect for the West Philly community. You are our neighbors and friends, and for a decade and half, the corner of 50th and Baltimore has been home to us all.”
Beginning June 1, a “talented duo” will take over the West Philly location, according to Certo. She did not name the new tenants, but said they are “seasoned brewers” who are “young, ambitious, hardworking and kind.”
The brewery is selling all equipment at the location, but not the brewery name, according to Certo. Dock Street South, the brewery’s 10,500 sq. ft. brewhouse opened in 2019, will remain open.
Additionally, a new Dock Street taproom is set to open later this year in Fishtown, led by brewer Mark Russell, Certos’ children Renata Certo-Ware and Sasha Certo-Ware, and Dock Street manager Lauren Wash, reported The Philadelphia Inquirer.
As for Certo, she said she is “beginning the next chapter” in her professional career and will focus on “a project that has been close to my heart for over a decade.” She told The Philadelphia Inquirer that she will now have a renewed focus on Dock Street Spirits – which launched its first spirits line, Vicio Mezcal, in 2015 – as well as on “making more impact in the brewing side of things.”
Certo founded Dock Street in 1985 with then-husband Jeffrey Ware. The two sold the company in 1998, but bought it back in 2002. The brewery produced 2,100 barrels of beer in 2020, down from 2,200 in 2019, according to the BA.
In 2020, the brewery faced backlash from employees following workplace changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
That year, Dock Street West service staff were laid off March 16 following the temporary closure of the facilities on-premise service. In June 2020, when the brewery was allowed to reopen, the company notified previous service members that it would be changing from table service to counter service, and invited laid off staff to reapply for their jobs.
A group of 11 employees responded to the company, saying it was “very concerning” that they were being asked to reapply for positions they already held, where they had “tended to relationships with regulars,” “built a community” amongst themselves, and had “worked tirelessly to make Dock Street West what it is.” Employees also asked management to sit down and discuss working conditions and wages.
In August 2020, Dock Street announced that it would change its service model for front-of-house employees from a tipping model (with a minimum hourly wage of $2.83 per hour) to a regular hourly wage. Some, but not all, organizing employees were called back to work, management told Brewbound at the time.
Standing Stone Brewing to Close at End of May
Ashland, Oregon-based Standing Stone Brewing will permanently close after 25 years at the end of May, the company announced via Facebook.
“As you all know, we as a community have recently experienced some especially challenging years here in the Rogue Valley,” the company wrote. “Starting with heavily smoke-filled summers in 2018 and ’19, coupled with the start of a global pandemic and the devastating 2020 Almeda Fire, we have found ourselves in an arduous position. A challenging job market (in which many hospitality workers chose to leave the industry), increased cost of goods and a vast decline in tourism, are all contributing factors to this difficult but carefully considered decision.”
Standing Stone said it will host a farewell celebration on its final day of operation, Sunday, May 29, from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., with $3 pints.
“As we close this final chapter in our journey, with heads held high and appreciation in our hearts, please remember that you all are the inspiration that has moved Standing Stone forward throughout the years,” the company wrote. “It is with profound gratefulness that we raise a pint and say, ‘Cheers Stone Family, it’s been a great run!’”
Standing Stone was founded in 1996 by brothers Emile, Mark and Alex Amarotico, and they opened the brewpub on August 8, 1997. Standing Stone’s location is being offered for sale or lease, and its brewery equipment, including a 10-barrel brewhouse, will also be sold.
Lupulandia Closes San Francisco Brewery After 3 Years
Lupulandia Brewery in San Francisco has closed its doors after nearly three years, SFGATE reported.
The brewery’s 7,000 sq. ft. facility has been listed for $395,000, which includes the location’s liquor license, a full kitchen, six serving tanks, two 15-barrel fermenters and an outdoor patio area, according to the listing. Brand rights are not included in the sale.
Plans for a rooftop area have also been filed with the city, and are awaiting approval, according to the listing.
“This is an excellent opportunity to purchase a turnkey and recently built out and renovated full brewery and bar with fully equipped restaurant,” Restaurant Realty Company wrote in the listing.
Co-founders Anthony LaVia and Oso and Pablo Campos opened Lupuladia in late 2019, but temporarily closed after about 100 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After receiving two rounds of PPP loans, the brewery reopened on May 5, 2021, but in January of this year the owners made the decision to close, citing continued challenges after COVID-19 cases spiked again from the Omicron variant, according to SFGATE.
Texas’ B52 For Sale as Turnkey Operation
Conroe, Texas-based B52 Brewing is being offered at auction as a turnkey brewery, according to asset disposition firm New Mill Capital.
Up for auction is the “complete brewery operation,” which includes “real estate, taproom, beer garden and intellectual property.” The 10,000 sq. ft. brewery, which has the capacity to produce 15,000 barrels annually, is located on a six-acre wooded site.
Among the features listed for the brewery are:
- A large taproom and shaded beer garden,
- Multiple outdoor spaces that are family and pet friendly,
- Indoor and outdoor private event spaces to rent,
- Ample parking.
B52, which opened in May 2014, remains in operation. The brewery did not report production numbers to the Brewers Association in 2021, but the Houston Business Journal reported that the brewery produced 866 barrels in 2020.
“It’s time for us to transition our brewery to a new operator,” B52 co-owner Brent Daniel told the Journal. “While it’s a successful operation and we’ll leave our hearts with it, we’re dedicated to finding a new owner who will continue to take the care and pride in B52 that we have.”
Home Brewing Co. to Close May 22
Home Brewing Co., a San Diego, California-based homebrew supplier and nanobrewery, will cease operations after this week, owner George Thorton announced Sunday.
The news came less than three months after Thorton announced he was looking for a buyer for the company, San Diego Beer News reported.
“I decided a while ago that something big needed to change for our 10 year anniversary; not just for the business, but for my life,” Thornton wrote in a post that now populates Home Brewing’s homepage. “We were going to sell either the entire company, or just my majority control, and see where the next 10 years would go under new leadership and fresh ideas. In the end, all of those options fell through – hinged largely on our landlord’s denial of all of the prospective tenants that we brought his way.”
Home Brewing will hold a liquidation sale of all its home brewing inventory from Tuesday, May 17, through its final day on Sunday, May 22. The facility’s one-barrel brewery set-up is not for sale, as it is bank property, according to San Diego Beer News.
“You may respond to this with sadness or concern or even anger,” Thorton wrote. “I want to offer you space for all of your emotions (I feel them all too), but mostly I invite you to see this as the beautiful and wonderful thing it is: an opportunity to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going.
“Our society is unhealthily obsessed with constant growth and expansion and market dominance,” he continued. “It’s not sustainable, it’s not realistic, all good things come to an end. So view this as just part of that beautiful cycle.”