I hate that this is the start of so many blogs recently, but here we go again, and this one actually hurts to write. I am not in or from Oregon, but as a craft beer lover, I have fallen head over heels for the little dead guy can logo over the years. But as of last week, the “Dead Guy” has officially kicked the bucket of hops. Rogue Ales & Spirits has closed its doors, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and right now, as I’m typing this, their entire Newport brewing facility is sitting on a liquidation auction block.
This sucks a lot because this story is becoming so familiar to beer lovers. Rogue Ales has been around for 37 years, has produced some great beer nationwide, made one of my favorite brews the “batsquatch” and is known as a powerhouse in the brewing world, but just like so many others since the pandemic, a perfect storm of issues hit them.
- The Debt Trap: According to the bankruptcy filings, Rogue was sitting on nearly $17 million in debt, including half a million in back rent to the Port of Newport and another $900k in unpaid property taxes.
- The “Can” Crisis: We’ve talked about this on the site before, but the 50% global aluminum tariffs that hit in 2025 were a gut punch. For a mid tier brewery like Rogue, too big for taproom only sales, but too small to negotiate the massive bulk contracts that the “Big Beer” conglomerates use to bypass those costs the cost of packaging alone tripled.
- The Shift: Craft beer sales are down about 3.5% nationally this year. People are trading down to budget brews or moving toward “wellness” drinks. Rogue, as iconic as they were, just couldn’t pivot fast enough.
However, since I started writing this and researching, I’ve seen what some of the locals may see as a silver lining. While Rogue is gone, it is confirmed that Claim 52 Brewing in Oregon will be stepping in to take over the original Bayfront location in Newport the very spot where Rogue’s legendary brewmaster, John Maier, first started back in 1989. This is a literal passing of the torch, and I have even seen online that they may be keeping some of the staff, and that would be dope, and people seem to be happy about the crew of Claim 52 taking over.
The Takeaway: Support Your Local Let this be a reminder to all of us: our favorite local spots aren’t invincible. Over the years I’ve seen some places that I love shut down while the “big guys” like Anheuser-Busch are spending over a billion dollars to buy up brands like BeatBox and stuff, the independent craft scene is fighting for every single inch.
This weekend, do me a favor. Skip the grocery store beer aisle and go grab a pint directly from a local taproom. Buy a 4-pack, leave a good tip, and tell them you appreciate what they do. Let them know that Idrinkbrew sent you, and when they say “Idrinkbrew?” you respond by saying, “I do too.”
