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A long-winding Ale Asylum saga has come to an end. The largest brewer in Madison, WI closed last wk, ending its 16 yrs in biz as co's expected sale fell thru 9 mos after the deal was first announced. Recall, Ale Asylum hit the market in late Aug last yr as a turnkey operation, slated to go to auction if it couldn't find a buyer. But less than 2 mos after, co said it secured a sale to an undisclosed entity, expecting a "seamless" handoff by end of 2021. That process dragged on, tho as recently as last month co-founder Otto Dilba told the Wisc State Jnl "we have the buyer, it's just taken longer than we thought." Now the deal officially collapsed, with co's final day in operation last Thurs and formal announcement on Fri, July 22. "The past couple years have been difficult for all businesses but with your support we were able to weather the storm," co wrote on its website and social media. "However, under circumstances we cannot control we have made the decision to close our doors." So what happened? "The situation just didn't turn out the way everyone had hoped with the buyer," Dilba told the State Jnl. "We had worked for the past several months to get things to where we wanted them to be, but they just didn't pan out." Ale Asylum's 45K sq-ft facility now sits idle and its 15 employees are reportedly out of work. But co's still hoping to sell its IP, with equipment and other brewery assets "likely" to be sold at auction, article notes.Sierra's Torpedo Room "Unsustainable" Following Staffing Shortages, Reduced Foot Traffic In same wk, Sierra Nevada permanently shuttered its Torpedo Room in Berkeley, CA, bringing a close to the satellite taproom's nearly 10 yrs in operation. Co temporarily shut down the Torpedo Room in Mar, reopening soon after with reduced hours of operation. But "the effects of the pandemic, from staffing shortages to wayward foot traffic, ultimately made the Torpedo Room unsustainable," co wrote in an Instagram post last wk. The taproom provided a physical presence in the Bay Area for the Chico-based brewer. But no beer was brewed on site, and co's taprooms in Chico and Mills River remain in operation.Austin's 4th Tap, Portland's West Coast Grocery, Canton, OH's Shale Brewing Also Closing Several smaller brewers are shutting their doors lately as well. In TX, North Austin's 4th Tap Brewing Cooperative filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, seeking to liquidate its assets, per Austin Biz Jnl. Co's brewery and taproom operated out of same warehouse since 2015, but decision to file for bankruptcy spurred by "one-two punch" of economic burdens caused by Covid and "ever-rising rents" in fast-growing North Austin, article notes. In Portland, OR, West Coast Grocery Brewing will close its brewery for good at the end of Aug. Co opened 4 yrs ago after over a yr of delays, but an "an incident of alleged sexual harassment went viral on Instagram and derailed the brand just as it was beginning to take off," New School Beer reminds. It never fully recovered, owner Charlie Hyde IV told Oregon Live, with the brewery and taproom set to sell to undisclosed new owners. And Canton, OH's Shale Brewing also announced its permanent closure on Fri. Co cited "three factors: decrease in business, increase in costs and lack of staff." Tho it's still in ongoing talks to sell, per Canton Rep, while sister co Shale Craft Coffee is "booming and will continue to operate" as separate biz.

Ale Asylum Done for Good After Deal Falls Thru; Sierra Shutters Torpedo Taproom in Berkeley; 3 Additional Closings

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