Bridgeport Brewing Is Closing
Today we learned Portland's venerable Bridgeport Brewing is closing. Bridgeport is Oregon's oldest still operational brewery, and though it has certainly seen major decreases in sales, a recent attempt to rejuvenate the brand with a more interesting lineup and more small specialty releases showed potential. The value of the Bridgeport Brewing name alone seems to be too great for this company to totally cease to exist, and I wouldn't be surprised if it gets sold to another company. But as of today, the largest Oregon brewery closure in recent memory is announced below.
Today we unfortunately announce that the BridgePort Brewery will cease brewing operations effective immediately, while the BridgePort Brew Pub will close effective March 10th, 2019. The decision to close was extremely difficult for all involved. Back in April 2017, declining sales caused the brewery to restructure its operations. However, sales and distribution continued declining in the extremely competitive craft beer market of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, which resulted in this final decision.
We extend our most sincere thanks and gratitude to our hardworking brewers, pub staff, our suppliers, and sales and marketing team for their dedication to BridgePort over the years. Because of their contributions, BridgePort’s enduring legacy as Portland’s craft beer pioneer will always be remembered.
We communicated this news earlier today to our employees and all are being provided with comprehensive severance packages.
We would also like to thank you—our BridgePort drinkers, pub customers, and fans—for your loyal support over the past 35 years. We invite you to stop by the pub for one last pint before we close next month. We would love to host you and reminisce one last time.
With our heartfelt appreciation,
The BridgePort Team