Four Florida breweries closed their doors this weekend

What is going on in Florida’s craft beer industry?

Four Florida Breweries closed their doors this weekend. What does this mean for Florida’s craft beer industry?

Halpatter Brewing Company in Lake City has announced that the company is looking to continue operations brewing, but for now is closing their downtown facility with hopes to crowdfund a move to downtown Gainesville and change their focus to high-end cocktails.

After some tumultuous times, including financial trouble, a threatened foreclosure, an ownership change, and a $15,000 fraud loss after COVID, the brewery has been looking for options for a few months now.

Inverness’s Nine State Brewery is closing their doors after seven years, after offering the brewery for sale in late July.

Tampa’s Southern Brewery and Winery closed their doors after 18 years with a good-bye letter posted in early July.

Every great chapter eventually reaches its final page, and ours has been an incredible one.

After three decades in the brewing industry, we’ve decided it’s time to retire. In the coming weeks, Southern Brewing & Winemaking will close its doors.

Our story together began 30 years ago when Kelly and Brian met at a beer festival hosted by Atlanta Brewing Company, where Brian was working. Neither of us could have imagined where that chance meeting would lead. In 2008, we opened our homebrew shop, and a few years later opened Southern Brewing & Winemaking. What began as our dream became something far greater because of all of you.

To our incredible employees, customers, community partners, and friends—thank you.

Your support, encouragement, and friendship have meant more to us than words can express. You made Southern Brewing & Winemaking everything we had hoped it would become. As we close this chapter, we leave with full hearts and memories we’ll carry with us always.

Over the next week, we’ll share more details about our closing plans, including our anticipated final day, which will be approximately four to six weeks from now.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being part of our journey. Sharing this

journey with all of you has been one of the greatest joys of our lives.

With sincere gratitude,

Brian & Kelly

Here’s to great beer, great friends, and the memories we’ve shared. Cheers.

St. Petersburg’s Overflow Brewing Company has closed their doors as of August 15th. Their goodbye letter, posted in July, is the announcement they hoped they would not hope to make, but it includes an optimistic note that the brewery will reopen.

“‘Don’t be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again.’ ~ Richard Bach

In every book, there will always be a final chapter to wrap up the story being told. On August 15th, we will close our tasting room doors for the last time. We will not go quietly into the night! There will be beer releases, live music, burlesque?, and even one last huge bottle share to make sure we go out the same way we came in! The time we have spent together in this location will never be forgotten and will live on in my stories for the rest of my life. We wouldn’t have been able to live out a part of our dreams without you and your constant support over the last 8.5 years. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU EVERYONE FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. We have one month to drink this place dry, share all the beers, and have all the fun!!

P.S. This isn’t goodbye for good! Details hopefully coming soon on a sequel!

‘Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.’ ~ Dr. Seuss”

So, now what?

Florida beer’s economic woes are no different than those faced throughout the United States, as echoed by the Brewers Association in their most recent reports. Craft brewers’ volume declined slightly in 2025, down 4%. Craft beer’s market share slightly increased to 13.4% (meaning that out of every 100 beers sold, roughly 13 of them were craft beers).

WHY ARE SO MANY BREWERIES CLOSING? and WHY NOW?

First, craft beer is down nationwide. Those of us who cut our beer teeth drinking 5-6 beers each day have grown and are facing health issues, rising costs, the challenges of raising families, and not going out as much as we used to.

Next, the upcoming generation of drinkers is not replacing us. Craft beer was fascinating and new when the Millennials were discovering it. In 2026, fantastic beer is what gets attention, but there is plenty of it on draft. Combine that with not-so-fantastic-beer that has large advertising budgets and celebrity endorsements and it presents a challenge to local craft breweries.

Keep in mind that when many breweries were opening years ago, the craft beer boom was at a very high point with no end in sight. Banks were granting loans and rents were being lowered to entice tenants, and craft brewers thought they could ride the high tide with no end in sight. Then rents increased, the cost of supplies went way up, COVID happened, and the challenges of the early 2020s could never have been foreseen by the brewers of the 2010s.

WHAT CAN A DRINKER DO?

The same truths remain, and “Supporting Your Local Brewery” can take many forms.

First, drink the beer. This seems simple enough, but without beer sales, a brewery cannot afford to keep the lights on. Bring it to parties, events, tailgates, and have your favorite local in your fridge. Introduce as many people as you can to their beer, and when you see it available on draft, order one or two.

Next, go to breweries and beer bars. While it is true that breweries get the most lift when patrons visit their tasting rooms, many many brewers would not be where they are today without the support of independent beer bars and publicans who have taken it on themselves to elevate beer selections. Orlando’s Redlight Redlight, South Florida’s Laser Wolf, St. Petersburg’s The Ale and The Witch, Jacksonville’s 9 Zero Pour and Kickbacks, Tampa’s The Independent, Largo’s Willard’s Tap Room, Sarasota’s 99 Bottles, and many more have all been involved in raising the bar on craft beer and supporting independent craft brewers.

Also, if you have a say in where to host events or gatherings, breweries make great venues. Weddings, corporate meetings, dinners, client visits, rehearsal dinners, or even weddings can help breweries generate income and create core memories with friends or colleagues.

Have to quit beer or drink less? Wear the merch, like/ share posts, comment positively on social media, and be a force for good. Just because your habits may have changed does not mean the beer has.

It boils down to this: if beer people want great beer and community, then we have to support great beer and community.