Based on a discussion in another thread, there was a suggestion to start a running list/discussion on breweries opening and closing in the Bay Area
The most recent closures - Jack’s Brewing Company, 21st Amendment, Olfactory Brewing, Sunset Reservoir, Barrel Head, Strike Brewing, Shaka Brewing
Nice, thanks. Maybe we can even expand this to beer gardens, and other craft beer focused tap rooms.
I’ll add an opening, even if it is not the most recent:
Some menu items are different than the Redwood city location.
There’s no kitchen. Food trucks outside.
There’s a pool table.
Another beer bar/shop which recently closed is Good Hop Bar and Bottle Shop in Oakland
there is/was an ‘explosion’ of micro-breweries . . .
a local beer store has two full aisles of ‘micro’ offerings.
I cannot drink enough beer to ‘support’ 20-100 micro-breweries in our local area.
it is of absolutely no surprise that billions and billions of micro-breweries are going bust . . .
Germany experienced the same thing - once upon a time every little town had its own brewery and following. thousands - absolutely thousands - of small town breweries…
eventually the issue of size=economy=costs . . . forced the little guys into closing.
close, personal, upfront experience: search “Bilger Beer”
Not sure if you can compare the situation of German breweries >100 years ago with what is happening currently in the US. In historic times in Germany the number of breweries decreased significantly due to technical progress but also WW I etc. Today in the US is it more a normal contraction because so many have opened in the last 10 years (and the overall number of contraction is still quite moderate - ~170 more closures than openings in the US in 2025 with more than 9200 breweries at the end of 2024
Interesting, where did you get that stat from?
That does not seem good, for there to be a year with more closed than opened.
I don’t think it is automatically bad as it is normal in the food industry in general to have a relatively high turnover. With the current economic realities, e.g. tariffs, tight money for customers etc, I am actually surprised that there isn’t a higher number of closures
not > 100 years ago. not even close.
So which year are you referring to with thousands of breweries? - The current number in Germany is about ~1900, ~2200 in 1960, ~1800 in 1970, ~1400 in 1980…
Another small brewery which closed down very recently is Rose’s Taproom in Oakland
I date to the 60’s - which as you show, 2200.
according to According to the Federal Statistical Office, Germany has a Papierkrieg for every topic . . .
" . . .1,459 breweries nationwide in 2024. Last year alone, 52 businesses had to close. (2025)" i.e. leaving 1407 operational, and declining . . .
the little local guys are simply unable to compete with high volume low price big guys.
I was able to still find 21st Amendment Blood Orange on draft at Ocean Oyster Bar & Grill restaurant in Union City, twice this month.
I don’t know if I had it before. I also did not have any favorite beer from 21st Amendment. This would instantly be my favorite from them. Too bad I discovered it after they closed operations.
It was also my first two times at Ocean. Menu is similar to King’s Fish House in San Jose, but parking at Union Landing for Ocean is much better. And Ocean is less crowded.
I had the fried red snapper one time at Ocean, and the cioppino another time. Liked them both.
Both their roasted goat cheese salad, and house salad, were good.
Even though Black Hammer Brewing has closed, Tony’s Pizza still has cans of the collaboration Pizzaweizen.
I was able to have one.
The artwork on the can is cool.
