Layoffs at Green Flash Brewing And Deschutes Brewery

Actually these brewery layoffs are happening more than is being reported…It’s not like some of these larger operations want to announce tough times via a press release…

The latest bad news comes from Green Flash in San Diego and the Deschutes Brewery in Bend. Oregon.

Over 100 Employees Laid Off At Deschutes Brewery

On March 16 Deschutes took to its Facebook page to announce that in an effort to keep its employees and customers safe it was closing its pubs, tasting rooms, and cancelling brewery tours.

Then Beer Marketer’s Insights reported that the Deschutes Brewery had cut 20 sales reps, a not all that surprising announcement with retail operations shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

And finally on March 24, VP of sales and marketing Neal Stewart confirmed with Brewbound that the closing of those locations, (which combined with Deschutes’ on-premise distribution sales amounted to a loss of 45% of the company’s revenue), had led to “well over 100” employees being laid off by the company.

Green Flash Brewing Lays Off Brewing Staff

On Monday the Full Pint reported that Green Flash Brewing had laid off its recently hired brewer, Bobby Oliver, who had helmed Melvin Brewing’s now closed San Diego brewpub.

It also reported that Green Flash, who purchased the Alpine Beer Company in 2014, had shut down Alpine’s pub and terminated the its iconic head brewer Shawn Mcilhenney, the son of the brand’s founder, Pat Mcilhenney.

This on the brewery’s downsizing from Green Flash Brewing’s Ben Widseth, Vice President of Marketing….

“In light of the unprecedented impact that the COVID-19 crisis has had on most facets of the economy, Green Flash was forced to make the very difficult decision to terminate or reduce employee work hours through furloughs.  This impacted a meaningful portion of our staff.  We are continuing to produce our beers and fill orders for our customers, and will reopen our tasting rooms when it is safe and appropriate to do so.”