Popular Texas Craft Brewery Calls It Quits After Acquisition By Energy Drink Company

Deep Ellum Brewery, the maker of the popular (and delicious) Dallas Blonde Golden Ale and other beers, is permanently closing the taproom/ brewhouse on the edge of its namesake neighborhood.

Deep Ellum Brewery opened in an old paper mill factory in November of 2011 and was the first craft brewery to open in Dallas in two decades.

Despite the closure, Deep Ellum Brewery's beers will still be available in stores. Production of the varieties is being centralized by Monster, the company that acquired Deep Ellum Brewing as part of a much larger deal with Canarchy in 2022.

Deep Ellum Brewery was previously bought from the original owner, John Reardon, in 2018.

However, as a craft beer enthusiast, the loss of the taproom/ brewhouse feels tragic. Taprooms/ brewhouses are where beer magic happens- where experiments are performed, friendships are formed, and where you can try a little bit of everything.

I also can't help but lament the loss of jobs for the craft brewers and bartenders on site.

The announcement was made on the brand's Facebook page.

Why did Monster close the taphouse? There has not been an explicit answer but this quote from current Monster co-CEO Hilton Schlosberg provides some clues:

 “We continue to see growth in the energy drink market globally. In the US, energy is the only segment of the beverage category currently showing unit growth.”

It is unknown to me if the taphouse was losing money, treading water or making a profit.

But we all know that in the corporate world if you're not making exponentially more money every year, you're not worth the hassle. And that's a shame because craft beer is an art, one whose existence shouldn't depend on the whims of venture capitalism.