Award-winning brewery closes with no notice
The craft beer industry has faced plenty of bad news over the last year. Craft brewer volume sales declined by 4% in 2025, while retail dollar sales decreased by 2.8% to $28 billion, which accounts for 24.8% of the $113 billion U.S. beer market, the Brewers Association said. The number of operating ...
Overview
The craft beer industry has faced plenty of bad news over the last year.
Craft brewer volume sales declined by 4% in 2025, while retail dollar sales decreased by 2.8% to $28 billion, which accounts for 24.8% of the $113 billion U.S. beer market, the Brewers Association said.
The number of operating craft breweries also declined by 2.9% to 9,578 in 2025, the association said.
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Zipline Brewing closes operations
Financial issues led Zipline Brewing Company, once the largest craft brewery in Nebraska, to close its brewery, taproom, and beer hall, suffering from the effects of industry headwinds following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Among the headwinds was the rising cost of beer ingredients, which has been a major contributor to economic issues in the industry.
“Raw material costs have emerged as a significant constraint in the North American craft beer market, with substantial increases in the prices of essential ingredients,” according to a 2026 North American Craft Beer Market Report by Mordor Intelligence.
“The impact of these cost increases has been particularly severe on production economics, forcing breweries to revise their pricing strategies and operational models,” the report said.
Zipline abruptly shut down its operations on June 11, giving no advance notice to its employees, according to Nebraska Public Media.
The Lincoln, Neb., brewery and taproom, located at 2100 Magnum Circle in Lincoln, posted a notice outside its taproom announcing the closing, according to KOLN-TV.
Pandemic headwinds unsustainable
"The brewery industry has faced tremendous headwinds since the pandemic, and those obstacles have only gotten harder as inflation and other rising expenses have squeezed our ability to produce world-class beers, at reasonable prices and still keep our lights on," the sign said.
Details
Zipline Beer Lounge, located at 5740 Hidcote Drive, Suite B, in Lincoln, also abruptly closed.
About 20 employees were terminated with the abrupt closing of the brewery, lounge, and taproom, according to KOLN.
Brewer abruptly closed
Operations seemed normal up until the brewery announced it was closing while workers were brewing a fresh batch of beer. All equipment was shut down before the process was completed, an employee told Nebraska Public Media.
The company's restaurant Zipline Tap & Grill, located at 575 Fallbrook Blvd., Suite 109 in Lincoln, will remain open, however.
"As we evolve into a restaurant-focused organization, we are grateful for the opportunity to continue welcoming customers in this next chapter," the company said in a Facebook post, according to Nebraska Public Media.
Brewery had controversy
The brewery created some controversy just before the closure of the brewery as people on social media learned that Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, both Republicans, were scheduled to appear at an event June 12 at the Zipline Beer Lounge.
The Ricketts campaign, however, said they moved their event to another venue because RSVPs exceeded twice the capacity of the lounge. They said the Zipline closure was not considered in their decision to move the event, according to Nebraska Public Media.
Beer won national awards
Zipline, which opened for business in 2012, was an award-winning brewery, having won several gold medals at national beer competitions, according to its website. The brewery's Copper Alt won a gold medal in the prestigious Great American Beer Fest in 2015, and another gold medal in 2022 in the U.S. Open Beer Championship.
Most recently, Zipline's Copper Alt won a gold medal in 2023 at the World Beer Cup Competition in Nashville, sponsored by the Brewers Association.
Zipline is owned by managers of AKRS Equipment Solutions, according to KOLN. Former manager Meghan Munyon said that management had been trying to sell the business prior to the closing.
Zipline's taproom offered 12 beers on tap year-round on Wednesdays through Sundays. The business was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Related: 97-year-old supermarket chain closes historic location
Source
Originally published at www.thestreet.com.
