As the year winds down, it’s pretty clear that 2025 was a tumultuous ride for the American craft beer biz. And while the industry avoided a full-blown collapse, the steady drumbeat of brewery closures was unrelenting.

Across the country, breweries both large and small shut their doors in 2025. Some had been neighborhood fixtures for a decade or more. Others were younger operations that never quite found their footing in an increasingly crowded and competitive market. Taken together, the closures painted a picture of an industry still recalibrating after years of rapid growth, pandemic disruptions, and shifting consumer habits.

According to industry tracking from the Brewers Association, 434 US craft breweries closed their doors in 2025, that compared with 268 openings — meaning closures outpaced openings by a considerable margin.

And here are just 10 examples of the many American craft breweries that closed their doors for good in 2025…

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
Founded in Delaware in 1996, Iron Hill grew into one of the country’s most recognizable brewpub chains, with locations spread across the Mid-Atlantic and beyond. Known for its award-winning beers and polished dining experience, Iron Hill long straddled the line between restaurant group and craft brewery. In late 2025, the company abruptly closed its remaining locations and filed for bankruptcy, citing rising labor costs, softer restaurant traffic, and the difficulty of operating a large footprint in a cooling craft beer market.

21st Amendment Brewery
A fixture of San Francisco’s beer scene since 2000, 21st Amendment built its reputation on approachable, patriotic-themed beers like Hell or High Watermelon. The brewery expanded production to San Leandro and enjoyed national distribution for years. In 2025, ownership announced plans to cease operations, pointing to declining volume, intense competition on crowded shelves, and the challenges of maintaining both a brewpub and a production brewery in an increasingly expensive California market.

Thimble Island Brewing Co.
Connecticut’s Thimble Island Brewing opened in 2010 and became best known for its flagship American Ale, which found steady success throughout New England. Despite that brand recognition, the brewery closed its Branford taproom and operations in mid-2025. Owners cited a difficult retail environment, rising operating costs, and the personal toll of navigating years of uncertainty in the post-pandemic beer landscape.

Duck Rabbit Craft Brewery
Founded in 2004 in Farmville, North Carolina, Duck Rabbit earned national respect as an early champion of dark beers at a time when many breweries focused on hops. After two decades in business, the brewery quietly liquidated and closed in 2025. Industry observers pointed to slowing sales, distribution challenges, and the difficulty of sustaining a small, independently owned production brewery in a market dominated by larger players and newer beverage categories.

Dissent Craft Brewing
St. Petersburg, Florida’s Dissent Craft Brewing opened in 2015 with a socially conscious mission and a taproom-first approach. While it developed a loyal local following, financial struggles eventually caught up with the brewery. In 2025, Dissent filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and shut down, underscoring how even community-focused taprooms can struggle amid rising rents and softer on-premise demand.

Strike Brewing Company
Strike Brewing launched in San Jose in 2014, combining craft beer with baseball culture in a region better known for tech than taprooms. Despite multiple locations and a diverse beer lineup, the brewery closed and filed for bankruptcy in 2025. High operating costs in Northern California and increased competition were widely seen as major factors in its downfall.

Entropy Brewing Company
Ohio’s Entropy Brewing Company operated as a small, neighborhood-focused brewery before announcing its permanent closure in December 2025. Like many Midwestern breweries, Entropy faced slower traffic, rising ingredient costs, and a shrinking pool of regular beer drinkers, making long-term sustainability difficult.

Sanitas Brewing Co.
Founded in Boulder in 2013, Sanitas built a reputation for experimental beers and a strong local following. By the end of 2025, the brewery shut down all operations. While details were limited, the closure came amid a broader wave of Colorado brewery shutdowns, highlighting how even beer-savvy markets have become increasingly competitive and unforgiving.

Trinity Brewing Co.
One of Colorado Springs’ early craft beer standouts, Trinity Brewing was known for its Belgian-inspired beers and sour program. After more than a decade in business, the brewery closed in late 2025. Industry watchers noted that changing consumer tastes and declining taproom traffic likely played a role.

Call to Arms Brewing Co.
Denver-based Call to Arms Brewing carved out a niche with classic styles and a loyal neighborhood crowd. Still, the brewery closed at the end of 2025, joining a growing list of Colorado closures. Rising costs and market saturation were common themes cited across the state.

Bottom Line

As the now “very mature” industry heads into 2026, fewer breweries may be operating than at craft beer’s peak, but those that remain will have become increasingly lean, focused, and realistic about what it takes to survive.

But the hundreds of craft breweries that closed in 2025 serve as a sobering reminder of how hard today’s craft beer business has become.

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