Beloved beer brand files Chapter 11 bankruptcy, restructures debt | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

Summertime is the ideal time to relax with an ice-cold glass of craft beer.

Unfortunately for many communities, the local craft brewer may have recently shut its doors, as the industry has seen a high number of establishments go dark over the last 2-1/2 years.

Craft breweries have struggled in 2025, as brewery closings outpaced openings, with 9,269 breweries operating in June 2025, down 1%, compared to 9,352 in June 2024, the Brewers Association said in its 2025 Midyear Market Report released on July 23.

Craft brewery operating numbers decline:

U.S. craft breweries operating in June 2025: 9,269.
U.S. craft breweries operating in June 2024: 9,352.

Craft breweries also had a significant decline in craft beer volume, dropping 5% year-over-year compared to 2024.

The number of operating craft breweries has also plummeted significantly from 2024 and 2023, based on the association’s report.

The overall number of operating craft breweries declined nationwide to 9,680 in 2024, down from 9,747 in 2023. It was also the fourth consecutive year that the number of new brewery openings declined, with 434 new breweries opening and 501 closing in 2024, according to the Brewers Association.

Memphis Made Brewing Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

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Memphis Made Brewing Company files for bankruptcy

Popular craft brewer Memphis Made Brewing Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to restructure its debts, about a year after closing its original brewery location.

The Memphis-based brewing company filed its Subchapter V petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee on Aug. 7, listing $1 million to $10 million in assets and liabilities.

The debtor’s largest creditors include Guaranty Bank and Trust, owed over $1.1 million in secured claims; the U.S. Small Business Administration, owed $500,000; and Chase Credit Card, owed $94,000.

Other creditors include its brewing operations suppliers, such as Malteurop and Proximity Malt.

Memphis Made Brewing Company top creditors:

Guaranty Bank and Trust, owed over $1.1 million in secured claims.
The U.S. Small Business Administration, owed $500,000.
Chase Credit Card, owed $94,000.

The debtor did not indicate a reason for filing for bankruptcy in its petition.

Memphis Made Brewing Company, founded in 2013, was only the fourth craft brewer to open in Memphis at the time.

More bankruptcy

The brewer closed its original brewery and taproom in July 2024 in the Midtown Cooper-Young neighborhood when its landlord wanted the space to expand his own business, according to Memphis Beer Blog.

The company consolidated its operations in its Downtown Memphis location, where it began brewing beer earlier in 2024. The brewer opened a taproom in the Downtown location in July 2024.

“We’ve needed a larger brewery for years, and this one will allow us to grow and produce even more styles of beer,” Andy Ashby, co-owner and sales manager, said in a statement reported by Memphis Beer Blog at the time.

“The new taproom will let us continue our mission of educating people about beer and making a positive impact on our city,” Ashby said.

The Downtown taproom consists of about 7,000 square feet, with a 30-barrel brewing system, additional fermentation tanks, and a new canning line.

Memphis Made Brewing Company’s top beers

Memphis Made Brewing Company brews three beers all year for its taproom and in cans, including its Fireside American Amber Ale, Junt Cream Ale, and its Cat Nap India Pale Ale, according to its website.

The company has also brewed about 25 other seasonal and limited-run brews.

The brewing company distributes its beers throughout Tennessee, Missouri, and North Mississippi.

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