BUSINESS

Craft breweries have suffered a significant downturn since 2023, which experts have called the craft beer apocalypse.The craft beer industry downturn began with a historically dismal year in 2023, recording 385 brewery closures for the year, the Brewers Association reported.The downturn continued as brewery closures outpaced openings, with 434 shutting down and 268 opening for the year by mid-December 2025, Brewbound reported on social media.Craft beer volume falls 5%Craft beer volume was estimated to be down about 5% from the previous year, according to the Brewers Association’s mid-year report in July 2025, Craft Brewing Business reported. Volume was down about 4% in 2024.Most recently, several Chicago-area breweries have either closed or announced pending closures.Chicago breweries close downAlarmist Brewing, located in Chicago’s Far Northwest Side Sauganash neighborhood, closed its doors on Feb. 1 after over 10 years in business, according to Block Club Chicago.Also, Illuminated Brew Works in Chicago’s Norwood Park revealed that it will close down its business on June 28.

Whiner Beer Company will close its brewery and taproom, suffering a decline in business since the Covid-19 pandemic.Shutterstock

Whiner Beer closes its brewery, taproom And now, Chicago craft brewer Whiner Beer Company said it will close its brewery and taproom on March 29, after suffering an economic downturn since the Covid-19 pandemic.”To all our friends and fans of Whiner Beer Company, the time has come to say goodbye and thank you for the last 10 years,” Brian Taylor, Whiner Beer’s owner, said in a Facebook post. “The last few years have been so difficult, but we gave it our best shot. We could write a bunch of reasons why we are closing, but it’s a familiar story in the brewing industry,” Taylor wrote.Whiner Beer Company, which has operated for 10 years, is located on Chicago’s Southwest Side in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.”Back of the Yards is our home and we will miss the neighborhood the most,” Taylor said. “From the Covid years to the ICE raids, Back of the Yards showed how resilient a community could be.”Sales growth died after CovidWhiner Beer had “not seen a year of growth” since Covid, after earning 20%-30% increases in business every year until the pandemic began, Block Club Chicago reported.The brewery attempted to bolster revenue through contract brewing for other breweries, but distribution plummeted by the end of 2024, requiring the craft brewer to rely more on its taproom sales, which were not enough to cover labor, space, and equipment costs, Taylor said, as reported by Block Club.Whiner brought in a start-up brewery Taylor brought in start-up brewery SomosMonos Cerveceria to increase the taproom offerings and tried to revive its distribution accounts, with not much luck.But when ICE raids started in late summer/early fall 2025, Back of the Yards became a ghost town, Taylor told Block Club.”From our taproom regulars on the South Side to our Le Tub fans on the North Side, we are so thankful for your support,” Taylor said.More closings:Bankrupt restaurant chains permanently close popular locationsMajor retail chain closes 35 stores nationwide, no bankruptcyAnother major retail chain closes warehouse operationsFor its last month in business, Whiner Beer said it is planning several events with a final celebration on March 28.The closing date seems certain, as an online auction for all of Whiner Beer’s brewhouse equipment has been scheduled on BidSpotter.Whiner Beer menu:Le Tub barrel-aged wild saisonHell Kitty Kitty Belgo-American pale aleMiaou Belgian WheatRubrique-A-BracBubble Tub saison with watermelonsBleu Tub sour saison aleEl Tub saison with lime, salt, and cucumberCurb Cutter Noble KolschHop Tub Tart Saison AleFoggy IPAMonsieur Monster Pineapple Berliner Weisse AleChamo Meow Wheat AleMaude Red AleRelated: Luxury furniture store chain closes key location