In an announcement this morning, longtime Portland brewery BridgePort Brewing announced it would be closing. They have already stopped brewing beer and will close their pub, located at 1313 NW Marshall, in about a month (March 10, to be exact). The brewery is Portland’s oldest that is still currently operating, having opened in 1984—shortly predating Widmer—and presaging the craft brewery movement that would build momentum over the next few decades.
The brewery has been suffering poor sales figures in recent years, and a reshuffling of the company in 2017 was an attempt to rebuild profits. It looks like that didn’t quite do the job, and BridgePort cites declining sales and the “extremely competitive craft beer market of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest” as reasons for closing.
BridgePort was founded by Richard and Nancy Ponzi of Ponzi Vineyards in 1984, under its original name, Columbia River Brewing, and opened the pub side of the business in 1986. In 1995, the Gambrinus Company—which also owns Shiner, Trumer Pils, and the now-closed Pete’s Wicked Ales (hey, remember them?)—acquired BridgePort and greatly upped its brewing capacity.
The news of BridgePort’s closing comes during a period of what could be considered a market correction following a craft brewing “bubble.” Last week, Burnside Brewing suddenly closed, while Alameda Brewing, the Commons, and the once-Portland-based Amnesia Brewing all have ended their run in recent months.
BridgePort, however, had been an important figure on the local beer landscape for more than a generation. Their IPA was, for many years, the gold standard for IPA in Portland, although that style has since trended toward bigger, bitterer, and hazier varieties. It also made a terrific, relaxed Blue Heron Pale Ale in the traditional British style, a fine barleywine called Old Knucklehead, and a winter seasonal called Ebenezer. At one point its operations were healthy enough to sustain a satellite pub on Southeast Hawthorne, although that closed in 2012. BridgePort’s Pearl District brewpub regularly offered cask-conditioned selections that were some of the best pints to be found in city limits. For their pioneering work and for their consistent, comparatively subtle beers, BridgePort’s absence will be felt.
The company’s statement is as follows:
Dear Friends of BridgePort,
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
Bummer. The craft beer scene is probably a bit over saturated. You can only drink so many $10 six packs.
I miss some of their long gone beers including the copper ale they used to make.
As always, the definitive take here is from Jeff Alworlth:
https://www.beervanablog.com/beervana/2019/2/12/oregons-oldest-brewery-bridgeport-has-closed
Texans manage to squander a massive surplus. Where have we heard this story before?
“BridgePort was founded by Richard and Nancy Ponzi of Ponzi Vineyards in 1984”
So it was a Ponzi scheme from the very beginning…
Gambrinus has owned BridgePort since 1995 and, ever since it lost the rights to Corona distribution, it’s done everything in its power to strip the soul out of its craft beer holdings. It straight-up killed Pete’s Wicked a few years back and, since BridgePort’s 30th anniversary in 2014, reduced sales from 24,000 barrels to just over 6,000. It squandered some of the strongest brand equity in craft beer, distanced BridgePort’s brand and beers from its hometown, and did all of it from the comfort of offices in Texas. Portland has two other pioneering breweries in similar positions. One is owned by a company in Costa Rica that would rather sell Pyramid at Blazers games than a beer with the city’s name on it. The other is partially owned by the biggest brewing conglomerate on the planet and brews more “Hawaiian” beer here than it does Portland beer. Both closed their pubs recently, and I fully expect both to cease existing completely. Last one out will convert itself into the Portland Craft Beer Museum.