An industry downturn, often referred to as the Craft Beer Apocalypse, continues to impact beer brands, forcing breweries to file for bankruptcy protection and, in some cases, close their facilities.
The last three years have been difficult for the craft beer industry. A downturn began with a historically grim year in 2023, recording 385 brewery closures for the year, the Brewers Association reported.
The industry slump led to more brewery closures than openings last year, with 434 shutting down and 268 opening by mid-December 2025, Brewbound reported on social media.
A challenging craft beer business environment has led another popular brewery to file for bankruptcy protection.
Pennsylvania Brewing Company, which operates Penn Brewery, files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
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Penn Brewery files for bankruptcy
Award-winning Pennsylvania Brewing Company Inc., which operates as Penn Brewery, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize and restructure its debts, according to PacerMonitor.
The 40-year-old craft brewery, which according to its website is the oldest in Pittsburgh, filed its petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania on March 31, listing up to $50,000 in assets and $1 million to $10 million in liabilities.
The debtor did not reveal a reason for filing for bankruptcy in its petition.
Pennsylvania Brewing Company was not immediately available for comment.
The company, which was purchased in 2022 by Pittsburgh businessman Stefan Nitsch, is the oldest and largest brewery in the city, Pittsburgh Magazine reported.
The company operates its brewery and restaurant at 800 Venial Street in Pittsburgh, and also has a location at Pittsburgh International Airport in Concourse A, Airside Terminal.
Fourth-largest Pittsburgh producer
The beer brand was the fourth-largest producer in the Pittsburgh region in 2025, with about 3,500 barrels of beer or 108,500 gallons of brew, Pittsburgh Business Times reported.
Focusing on high-quality brews, the brewery has won 20 Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup medals, according to its website.
The company’s year-round beers include its flagship Penn Pilsner, Penn Dark, Penn Gold lager, Penn Weizen wheat beer, Penn Kaiser Pils, Penn IPA, and Refreshen’ Session IPA.
Brewer opened its brewery in 1989
Penn Brewery, which began as a contract brewer in 1986, moved into its historic facilities in 1989 after the brewery was restored with the assistance of the North Side Civic Development Corporation.
The original facilities date back to 1848, when the Eberhardt and Ober families operated a brewery at the site.
Award-winning brewery bankruptcies
Other award-winning breweries have faced more severe consequences, including Great American Beer Festival gold medal winner Olfactory Brewing, which closed its San Francisco brewery in December 2025, Berkeley, Calif., taproom in February 2026, and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation on March 4, facing unsustainable costs, according to social media posts.
Also, craft brewer Memphis Made Brewing Company, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Aug. 7, 2025, about a year after closing its original brewery location, closed its second taproom on March 29, 2026.
More bankruptcies:
- Troubled automobile maker files Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation
- Major gambling destination files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
- Major department store brand liquidates in Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Customers will still be able to buy Memphis Made beer around Shelby County, Tenn., for the foreseeable future, however, as it will continue to brew and distribute its beer, according to a Facebook post.
Its restaurant at Memphis International Airport will also remain open for business, the post said.
High-ranked airport bar
Memphis Made Brewing is a highly regarded brewery nationally, as it earned a No. 2 ranking among the nation’s best airport bars from USA Today in 2023, the Commercial Appeal said.
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