The Brewer’s Art files for bankruptcy
Baltimore brewery The Brewer’s Art has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy to liquidate its assets after suddenly shutting down its business.
The move follows The Brewers Art abruptly shutting down its brewery and restaurant earlier in the month after 30 years of operating, with a sign posted on its front window, according to WMAR-TV.
The sign, which read: “Dear Friends, Sadly we had to permanently close our doors today. Thanks to all of you for all of your support over the years. Thanks for the memories. Best Wishes. The Brewer’s Art.”
The brewery owner did not state a reason for closing its business, but the comptroller of Maryland had reportedly placed an US$85,000 lien against The Brewer’s Art on 12 December 2025.
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Sales decline
The US independent beer industry has struggled over the last two years, with overall beer production and imports in the US being down 1% in 2024 and craft brewer volume sales declining 4% in 2024 and about 5% in 2025, according to a Brewers Association.
According to reports from Brewbound the Beer Institute has also revealed data indicating that domestic beer shipments also declined 5.9% in 2025, losing about 8.68 million barrels of beer. In total, shipments in 2025 reached 139 million barrels, showing a nosedive from 147.7 million barrels in 2024.
Younger generations drinking less
The Brewers Association additionally pointed out that, alongside this, consumer demand and alcohol consumption rates of younger generations also declined.
According to a 2026 North American Craft Beer Market Report by Mordor Intelligence, research stated that “raw material costs have emerged as a significant constraint in the North American craft beer market, with substantial increases in the prices of essential ingredients, such as malted barley and hops, alongside packaging materials like aluminium cans. The impact of these cost increases has been particularly severe on production economics, forcing breweries to revise their pricing strategies and operational models.”
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