Craft breweries have faced difficulties over the last two years generating profits and avoiding financial distress.
A combination of increased labor and product costs driven by inflation, rising interest rates on debt, and consumers’ changing attitudes on spending contributed to breweries’ financial problems.
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A long list of craft beer brands have closed taprooms, shut down breweries, gone out of business, and sometimes filed for bankruptcy.
Related: Popular beer brand closes down and files Chapter 7 bankruptcy
The overall number of operating craft breweries declined nationwide to 9,680 in 2024, down from 9,747 in 2023. It was also the fourth consecutive year that the number of new brewery openings declined, with 434 new breweries opening and 501 closing.
Several craft breweries have filed either Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 bankruptcies in the first half of 2025.
Award-winning craft brewery The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection on April 29 to liquidate its assets and shut down its business permanently.
The brewery’s owner Paul Philippon did not state a specific reason for closing down his business in a Facebook post where he thanked his customers.
The Duck-Rabbit’s Chapter 7 filing came shortly after Cary, N.C.-based craft brewery Brüeprint Brewing Company on April 9 filed for Chapter 7 protection.
Craft breweries file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
La Vista, Neb., beer brand Nebraska Brewing Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 28, 2025, to implement a strategic restructuring, facing uncertain times and economic and supply chain issues, according to a company Facebook post.
And San Antonio craft brewery Alamo Beer Company LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Feb. 3, 2025, to restructure its debt obligations and continue as a going concern.
Atlanta-area craft brewery Jekyll Brewing, which operated four locations in Georgia and one in Florida, shut down all of its locations at the close of business on May 11. The brewer’s owner Michael Lundmark confirmed the closure of all Jekyll Brewing locations in a post on Atlanta Beer Society’s members-only Facebook page, TheStreet’s Daniel Kline reported.
The brewery, however, did not indicate whether it was planning to file a bankruptcy petition.
Device Brewing Company closes down all of its locations.
Image source: Shutterstock
Device Brewing closes all locations
Finally, popular craft brewery taproom chain Device Brewing Company suddenly shut down all of its locations on April 27 after a landlord filed a lawsuit against the company over $23,000 in unpaid rent, Fox40.com reported.
Related: Popular vodka and gin brand files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
The brewery, however, has not revealed a reason for shutting down its three brewery taproom locations. It also has not indicated whether it plans to file for bankruptcy protection.
More bankruptcy:
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The Sacramento-based beer brand, which launched its business in April 2013, was not available for comment as the company did not answer its main phone number at last check, and its voicemail box was full of messages. Two other company phone numbers were not operational.
The company did not reveal its closing on its website or any social media site.
After opening its brewery and taproom in 2013, Device Brewing Company opened a second taproom in Sacramento in 2018, and launched a third taproom with a kitchen in the city in February 2020.
The Covid-19 pandemic was just beginning around the time that the third taproom opened, which likely had a devastating effect on the new location’s business, as well as the two other taprooms.
Device Brewing produced a line of beers that included Pincushion Pilsner, Curious Haze IPA, Kid Casual Blonde Ale, Integral IPA, Made In Sac IPA, Hop Revolt IPA, Rice Crispy Boi Rice Lager, Brits In Moscow Imperial Stout, and Big Truck IPA.
The brewery sold its cans of craft beers through major Northern California beer distributors, including Matagrano Inc., Eagle Distribution, Markstein Sales – Antioch, Donaghy Sales, and Blach Beverage.
