Newport Brewing Closes; Second in Oregon Coast City in a Week
A brewery closed in Newport, Oregon last week, but not the one you are probably thinking of. As I was writing the article on the demise of Newport Brewing Company the other shoe dropped, the legendary Rogue Ales was closing too without a moments notice. Newport Brewing however shared their impending closure on social media, then deleted the post days later.
Newport is one of the largest cities on the Oregon Coast and a popular tourist destination. Newport Brewing Company was the city’s third brewery following Rogue and Bier One. Before they opened in 2019, owner Brodie Becksted told the New School that part of the reason he wanted to open a brewery to begin with was to offer an alternative to Rogue.
“I just think we need a new Brewery & Restaurant in Newport that embraces Newport and something different than Rogue for the locals. Rogue has been at the forefront for a long time and has been very successful. I grew up drinking Rogue Beer. I have a huge support by the local community and think its the right timing,” wrote owner Brodie Becksted to the New School in December 2018.
Real estate developer and born and raised Newport native Brodie Becksted bet on establishing a new alternative brewpub off and away from the touristy waterfront strip . Becksted, a homebrewer, had already designed an announced his beer lineup before hiring brewer Sam Zermeno, an award-winning brewer out of Temecula, California who moved with his wife and young son to Oregon to start a new life. Zermeno was the 26th brewer interviewed for the job according to Becksted.
“He'll be working on a 15-barrel, custom-made Portland Kettle Works system, making more of those top-quality hazys, a traditional flagship IPA and a wonderfully fruited, complex gose with raspberry and hibiscus. You can also expect a robust lagering program,” said Becksted at the time.
People were excited, a new brewery with a full restaurant, a new brewhouse, fresh build-out, on-site parking, thought out brand, and a head brewer from California with potential to do great things.
Less than a year after opening the Newport brewery, Zermeno left to Portland to become a brewer at Great Notion Brewing, and is now best known as the head sorcerer behind Brujos Brewing.
Since opening Newport Brewing has been listed for sale atleast 3 times. The first was in April 2021, less than 2 years after opening, with the steep asking price $6,500, 000 and including the brick and mortar pub with seating for 100, the property including 21 parking spaces spanning on 4 bay & bridge view lots and including all real estate, brewing and kitchen equipment, fixtures, and the branding - really the entire package.
Becksted told the New School that things were going great business-wise but he had taken over brewing duties while looking for a new brewer and was having trouble running both the brewery and his real estate and investment firm. At the time he touted distribution across the state with Bigfoot and Wine warfare, and plans to sign on with Fort George Distribution as well. It was a plan to test the market as well he said, looking for either a full buyout or a 49% stake partner. “Putting it on the market for 60 days and pulling it if we don’t find a suitor and going to let it grow for another 12 months and try it again,” said Becksted.
Newport Brewing did not sell and in January of 2023 the brewery was re-listed
“We put the brewery and restaurant including the Real Estate back for sale at a very attractive price of $3,695,000 this week which basically is Real Estate value, Equipment Value & Inventory with a small amount for the business,” said Becksted. “We love the business but as our kids grow, we are ready to move on to a less hectic lifestyle. We have a grandkid now and one left in high school, so we feel this is a good time.”
Newport Brewing again did not sell and in January 2024 it was listed again for less.
“It's a tough world out there these days,” said Becksted. “We put it up at $2,795,000.00 for everything, will sell the business and equipment separately for $1.3 million with a lease on the building. I have never had a business evaluation done but I would imagine the costs to install equipment, buy equipment and start a brewery is and that is in line. We have a real estate appraisal in 2023 for $2,250,000 and equipment / inventory value of approx. $700,000.00.”
Newport Brewing Company temporarily closed ahead of Christmas 2024, what was meant to be brief pause stretched out into spring 2025. In March ‘25 the brewery announced plans to reopen with the the debut of The Anchor Pod, building out their large lot in front of the pub to accommodate up to 7 food trucks with covered seating and all of the hook-ups for power and water. The taproom reopened on Tuesday, July 8th with new biz Nosh Burgers + Pizzeria taking over the kitchen, but the pod never came to fruition with only the occasional food trucks appearing on site temporarily.
Becksted confirmed Newport Brewing Company’s closure via email.
“We could have definitely made some better moves but we gave it our best shot for as long as we could. We coulda kept going but I’ve decided you gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em,” wrote Becksted. “We opened 6 months before the pandemic and got hit hard right out the gate. We lost our ass on this project and that’s alright.”
Newport Brewing’s equipment is going back up for sale from UBE Machinery and Portland kettle works. The property is back on the market at $1,695,000 and that includes the installed infrastructure in the lower parking lot with underground water/sewer and power with individual pedestals for 7 food trucks/RVs and conditional use approval to be the first food truck pod in Newport.
Newport Brewing Company, 1118 SW Canyon Way, Newport, OR
https://www.newportbrewingcompany.com/