An Iconic Oregon Craft Brewery Abruptly Closes All Locations After Nearly Four Decades

If you are a lover of craft beer, the hits have just kept on coming over the last few years, and now one of the biggest and oldest names in craft brewing has suddenly shut its doors. While some well-known breweries like 21st Amendment have shut down in recent months, November 14 brought maybe the biggest name brewery closure since Anchor Brewing shut down in 2023, as Rogue Ales in Oregon unexpectedly shut down all its remaining operations.

Officials from Rogue apparently met with representatives from the Port of Newport, where Rogue rented its brewing space, to tell them it would be shutting down that day, according to Oregon Live. Not only did Rogue shut its brewery and warehouse, but four pubs it owned throughout the state were also suddenly shuttered on Friday. Even employees were not given a heads-up, as each one was only informed that morning through the company's scheduling app that they would be paid until the end of the day, then lose their jobs.

Rogue was one of the oldest and most famous craft breweries in the country, having been founded in 1988 when the movement was in its infancy. However, it had seemingly been struggling since the pandemic, as it had already shut down several pub locations and shuttered its distillery business. The company was reportedly over $500,000 behind on rent and $30,000 behind on its taxes as of the shutdown, and its ownership has not yet responded to interview requests.

Rogue was a national pioneer in craft beer and was one of the few smaller brands that had achieved distribution in all 50 states. Its best-known beer was probably Dead Guy Ale, a Maibock-style ale which it made in other variations like IPAs. It wasn't just a big name either, as Rogue made some beers we really liked, including a Chocolate Stout Nitro that was one of our favorite sweeter beers.

Rogue has not been without controversy, either. It got bad press for smashing a union movement in 2011, and also went viral in 2013 for posting an aggressive job listing that promised low pay and long hours in condescending fashion. Perhaps a foreshadowing of it just treated its laid-off employees. It also contained the quote, "We do not plan, budget or forecast." So, yeah.

But while no specific reason was given for any slowdown in Rogue's business, the craft beer industry has been struggling recently. Sales dropped overall last year, and more breweries are closing than opening. A big part of this is likely oversaturation, as the U.S. jumped from 1,500 craft breweries to 9,500 in the decade from 2010 to 2020. Combine that tough competition with the same rising labor and materials costs that many food and beverage producers are struggling with, and an overall trend away from drinking alcohol, and the business brew for craft beer isn't looking great right now.