Reportedly, at 8:00 this morning, a message was sent to all Rogue Brewery employees via the company’s scheduling application. Effective immediately, Rogue ceased operations at all its facilities, including the brewery in Newport, OR, and its pubs in Astoria, Newport, Portland, and Salem. One of the impacted employees says there was no warning. Just an unexpected, polite but gut-punching message this morning, announcing the sweeping closures and wishing everyone well.
The closure was abrupt, but trouble had been brewing for some time. Rogue recently shut down its distilling operation. That facility was a separate building, located next to its 47,000-square-foot production brewery in Newport. Rogue leases both properties from the Port of Newport. Multiple reports say that the company owes the Port over $500,000 in rent and owes Lincoln County $30,000 in taxes. The original story broke this morning via the Lincoln Chronicle.
The big question is whether this marks the end for Rogue Brewery. As of now, no statements have been made. One thing is for sure: the 60 people who worked at the production facility are out of work, as are all of the employees who worked at the pubs. Rogue Brewery was initially founded in Ashland, Oregon, in 1988, but quickly relocated to Newport. It was the country’s 50th-largest craft brewery by volume in 2024.
