The Rake, the taproom and brewpub that has poured pints over the malting floor of Admiral Maltings for nearly a decade, will serve its last beer on Oct. 18, 2026. The closure follows Admiral Maltings itself, which is set to pull its final batch of malt from the kiln on Oct. 2 at Alameda Point, ending one of the more distinctive chapters in Bay Area craft brewing.
According to KRON4, The Rake said it could no longer make and sell malt economically and no longer possessed the resources to keep Admiral Maltings running. The pub occupies the Admiral Maltings malthouse itself and has served a rotating lineup of beers from dozens of breweries made with the facility's malt, per the same report. The Rake described itself as having played a role in the craft beer scene locally, nationally and internationally, and said it had reached out to professional colleagues and partners over the last couple of years as it worked through the situation.
Admiral Maltings has operated on Alameda Point for nearly a decade, providing handcrafted malt to craft breweries across the Bay Area and beyond, the station's report notes. The malthouse was founded by Ron Silberstein of ThirstyBear Brewing Company, Dave McLean of Magnolia Brewing Company, and Curtis Davenport, according to Admiral Maltings. The operation runs out of a 20,000-square-foot malthouse inside a former World War II-era naval dry goods facility, which it calls the site of California's first floor-malting facility since Prohibition and the state's only certified organic malting operation.
A Pub Built Around the Malting Floor
The Rake itself is billed as a one-of-a-kind pub overlooking the malting floor, pouring more than 20 draft and cask beers and spirits made with the house malt, according to Admiral Maltings. Craft Beer & Brewing has described The Rake, located at 651A W. Tower Ave., as the taproom and barbecue smokehouse of Admiral Maltings; KRON4 has described it as a regular hangout for brewers, bartenders and other industry members. The Rake said it treasured the connections and community it built with California farmers, breweries and distilleries, and it credited itself with helping revive and innovate the craft of floor malting.
The pub also asked supporters to keep backing local farmers, responsibly sourced ingredients and craft malters going forward, even as it acknowledged wishing the closure were not happening. Admiral Maltings has said it partners directly with California farmers to source the grain behind its handcrafted malt.
Part of a Rough Stretch for Craft Beer
The shutdown lands amid what the industry has called a difficult period for craft beer nationally and in California. The Brewers Association reported that total U.S. craft production fell 4% in 2025 to 22,034,000 barrels, with 60% of breweries reporting declines, while the craft brewing workforce shed 6,000 jobs, or 3%, year over year. The number of operating U.S. craft breweries dropped 2.9% compared with 2024, and new openings sank to just 300 from 518 the year before, even as closures also eased to 481 from 591. The trade group described the overall outlook as cautiously optimistic after several rough years.
California brewers have faced their own version of that squeeze. KQED has reported that more California breweries closed than opened over the past two years, as brewers contend with rising costs and tariffs on everything from aluminum cans to Canadian barley. Some operators are responding by adding food trucks or kitchens and leaning into hospitality to keep customers around longer, the outlet noted.
Other Bay Area Names Have Also Gone Quiet
The Rake's closure joins a string of notable Bay Area beer casualties. Trumer Brewery closed its Berkeley facility this year and shifted production to Firestone Walker Brewing Co. on California's Central Coast, while 21st Amendment announced in September 2025 that it would close its San Francisco taproom and San Leandro brewery that November, after the brewery said its sales had plunged 20% annually since 2021, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The 21st Amendment brand was sold to Philadelphia-based Evil Genius Beer Co., which has since resumed selling four of the brewery's most popular beers, per KRON4.
Anchor Brewing closed in San Francisco in 2023, and Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya later acquired the Potrero Hill brewery, but Anchor Steam has still not returned to Bay Area taps or beer fridges. Liberty Ale and Christmas Ale also remain absent.
Across town in Berkeley, Triple Rock Brewery & Taphouse is expected to close in December after 40 years in business, with owners pointing to a nationwide decline in alcohol sales alongside the economic downturn and rising costs of running a business, according to Mercury News. Triple Rock has said it plans to mark its final months with celebrations, including bringing back 1980s specials and inviting former brewers to return, per Berkeleyside.
At Alameda Point, breweries including Almanac, Faction and Humble Sea continue to serve primarily beer brewed under their own labels rather than relying on Admiral Maltings' output. For now, The Rake's remaining weeks stand as a last chance for Bay Area drinkers to raise a glass on the malting floor before the taps go quiet on Oct. 18.
