Ashland, Oregon is known for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and has a vibrant arts scene and community, with a respectable food, drink, and nightlife scene thanks to tourists and Southern Oregon University. Ashland only had 2 breweries though, a small number considering the area demographics, and soon they will be down to just one.

26-year-old Standing Stone Brewing has announced their permanent closure. A major shift in stance since announcing new leadership earlier this year.

“Standing Stone Brewing Company remains strong in their resolve to overcome such adversity. Now more than ever, this family-owned brewery and other Rogue Valley restaurants need the support of locals,” wrote Standing Stone’s Elisha Lewis published in the Rogue Valley Messenger in January 2022.

On May 10th that message dramatically shifted with the sudden announcement on Standing Stone’s blog and media outreach.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce, Standing Stone Brewing Company will be closing the doors of our family-owned brew pub permanently,” wrote the brewery in a statement.

Opened in 1996, Standing Stone Brewing was one of the early examples of eco-conscious brewing being recognized with a State of Oregon Sustainability Award, Oregon Business “100 Best Green Businesses” and Sustainable Business Oregon’s “Sustainable Business Innovation” award (Operations.) In 2012, the company launched the One Mile Farm, and over the past years the project supplied the restaurant with a local and progressive source of sustainably raised meats, but has also managed to dwindle the restaurant’s carbon footprint by diverting over twenty tons of waste from the landfill each year while attempting to be a zero-waste facility.

Standing Stone owners the Amarotico family blamed outside factors for their imminent closure.

“As you all know, we as a community have recently experienced some especially challenging years here in the Rogue Valley. Starting with heavily smoke-filled summers in 2018 and ‘19, coupled with the start of a global pandemic and the devastating 2020 Almeda Fire, we have found ourselves in an arduous position. A challenging job market (in which many hospitality workers chose to leave the industry), increased cost of goods and a vast decline in tourism, are all contributing factors to this difficult but carefully considered decision.”

The only other brewery in Ashland is the also aging veteran Caldera Brewing, Standing Stone is the only one of the two with a central downtown pub to go to. It is unclear what will happen to the space, and the brewery and equipment therein, but we have reached out for more information as it could still be an opportunity for a newcomer.

Standing Stone is going out with a farewell celebration at the end of the month with $3 pints on their last day Sunday, May 29th from 11:30am to 8pm at their brewpub location 101 Oak Street Ashland, OR 97520.