Charleston breweries continue to drop like flies

All this said, the beer in this region is not great. Edmund's Oast does some good stuff, Holy City some good beers. Westbrook is good with a solid barrel aging program, and I also like Low Tide.

The ones around Bham that still do well, didn't just go all in on the IPA fad. They continued to offer a good variety of styles. They still get good crowds and do fun events and stuff.

Trump Tariffs didn't exist in 2024 so that guy is a liberal fig.

"beer drinking at all time low" is the one and only reason a beer drinking establishment would close.

quote:

---

good for hot weather,

---

give me a crisp Pilsner or ice cold Mexican style lager on a sweltering day. Maybe a WIPA

I think the insurance crisis is a main driver. But it does sound like the state is trying to do something about it. This issue was tragically illustrated with the Folly Beach newlywed drunk driving accident that made national news (it was a woman from NJ...fricking northeasterners. Lead to I think two of the named establishments going under

quote:

---

Under the bill’s most significant change, the state would transition from its current modified joint-and-several-liability system to a pure several-liability system. Under pure several liability, defendants are only responsible for their proportionate share of damages. In contrast, under the existing system, defendants with greater financial resources could be held liable for full verdict awards, regardless of their percentage of the overall fault.

The bill would require that juries allocate fault among all defendants, plaintiffs, and nonparties, with the goal of holding individuals and businesses accountable only for their respective share of responsibility. This approach aligns with legal frameworks in more than a dozen other states that have adopted pure several liability, fostering a fairer legal environment and, in many cases, contributing to economic growth.

Additionally, the bill eliminates the exemption that allows alcohol-related civil cases to proceed with just a 1% liability threshold against a defendant.

These changes would create a fairer system, holding bad actors fully accountable, with minor contributors responsible only for their proportionate share of fault. To compete with other states' business environments and legal climates, South Carolina must pursue this sound policy.

---

Younger kids aren’t drinking much and they grew up with their parents dragging their little asses to breweries when they were younger.

Without even considering national trends - less drinking, everyone tired of IPAs, etc...

Palmetto got left in the dust by Revelry, Low Tide, EOBC, and others about 6-7 years ago. Palmetto was the legacy brewer - the only craft beer CHS knew for a long time and was nothing special. They didn't keep up with the times and got lapped by newer, better products.

The CHS brewery boom from 2015-2020 was pretty cool and it went from an awful beer city to quite serviceable. Whenever I go back it's EOBC for bust for me, that place is one of my favorites anywhere.

quote:

---

This article touches on some of the potential reasons...mentioned here is tariffs on steel and aluminum as well as changing tastes of consumers.

---

Tariffs are not the reason breweries are closing. Breweries have been shutting down for about 3 or 4 years now, regularly. Breweries may have to deal with tariffs but blaming tariffs is kind of silly and it's really no secret that the brewing industry isn't exactly pro-Trump.

But, if you've been paying attention the brewing industry over the past decade or longer, the reasons for closures are:= (in no particular order):

1) Covid - covid destroyed quite a few breweries. Mandated shutdowns. No in-person congregating (unless you were rioting). etc... Not to mention, once reopened then supply chain issues and backlog became a big issue.
2) The craft beer industry was at a pace of rapid and unsustainable expansion in the early to mid-2010s. It didnt' matter if your beer was shite, everyone was buying craft beer. Right around the time of covid or shortly thereafter, the market began to normalize. And what was seen as a market collapse, was merely a retraction to normal independent business growth. Craft beer was still growing, though at a moderate rate. Not the explosive 25%+ growth rate in the 2010s.
3) Kids don't drink anymore. And if they do, it's either spirits or healthier alternatives. Same for older adults as well. We are becoming a more health concious society, it seems, at least in some parts of the country. Overall, beer has taken a backseat in the preferred alcoholic beverage.
4) Inflation - it's obvious, but inflation over the last 4 years was killing all small business, including breweries.
5) Bad beer doesn't sell anymore. As one beer author stated in a podcast last year, "it is an excellent time to be a beer drinker right now, it is a terrible time to be a brewery owner". The rapid expansion saw breweries come and go, but we're to a point now where consumers are selective, and mass producing shite beer isnt' an easy buck anymore. With the market easing back to normal growth levels, every oz. poured needs to sell. Bad beer is no longer tolerated by the picky consumer. This has needed to happen for awhile now, and it's all coming to a head.
6) Tariffs - i said they are not the reason earlier, what i meant is they are not the sole reason, and they are not the reason for the overwhelming majority of closures. However, recently, they will play a part. New breweries will either have to manufacture domestic or pay a tariff for chinese or import steel equipment. Aluminum could be subject to tariffs but i've read earlier that aluminum is exempt. Grain from the EU is subject to tariffs. Now the grain producers want to cite tariffs for their pricing, but their pricing was rising prior to Trump and the tariffs. Tariffs may play a part in upcoming brewery closures, but be weary of any brewery stating tariffs as the main reason, and omitting everything else on this list.
7) Local market restrictions - there could also be local market restrictions/laws that impact breweries in certain regions/states/towns as mentioned eariler regarding change in the insurance laws.

quote:

---

Palmettos had some other issues, I had read somewhere that the owners owed 7m. Like How?

---

I was just reading today that they were acquired by a Florida group for $6.9M in 2021 but apparently that has swelled to$7.4M today. So perhaps they weren't paying anything on the note?

LINK

quote:

---

so the beer wasn’t great and the the business was underwater…but yes let’s blame it on the craft brewery bubble bursting

---

And tariffs