Counterbalance Brewing Company, owned and operated by Jeff Howell and Frank Lawrence, officially opened its taproom doors and launched wholesale distribution on February 4, 2015. Today the brewery announced that it is for sale. Jeff and Frank made the difficult announcement on Facebook.
“We’ve made the difficult decision to put our brewery up for sale and wind down business in the next couple months,” said the announcement. “We’ll be here for some time yet, but we wanted to make this announcement while we’ve still got some beers to share and time to thank those who have enjoyed it for the last 7+ years.”
The brewery and taproom is located in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood, near the intersection of Michigan Street and Fourth Avenue South. The beer-only tasting room is spacious and brightly lit by large, west-facing windows. Lots of bar seating, and a spattering of two- and four-top tables. There is outdoor seating too, out front of the building.
“We’re truly grateful for all the friends we’ve made and the support we’ve received, as well as all the beers we’ve been privileged to make and enjoy. Our staff has been incredible, and we wouldn’t have made it nearly this far without them. We’ll put out more details about a closing event in the coming weeks, and we hope you’ll come by and let us thank you once more for being a part of Counterbalance Brewing.”
I will be watching this story. Stay tuned. I sincerely hope a buyer is found and the location continues forward as a brewery and taproom. I also sincerely wish Frank and Jeff all the best in whatever comes next.