Crosstown Brewing Company is calling last call for good this Saturday, shutting the doors of its taproom next to Crosstown Concourse after what the brewery describes as nine years in Memphis. The closure caps a run that began with a kitchen-free beer hall and grew into a neighborhood fixture, and it ends with cofounder and president Will Goodwin saying the decision simply couldn't be avoided.
“It's a necessity,” Goodwin said, according to WREG, pointing to inflationary pressures and declining sales that made running the brewery increasingly difficult. He also cited a broader shift in habits, noting that tastes have changed and many younger people are drinking less. As Action News 5 reports, the brewery is inviting drinkers to join for a final pint from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, October 17, at its taproom location.
Accounts differ on exactly how long Crosstown has been pouring beer in Memphis. Action News 5's reporting describes the brewery closing after nine years, while WREG's account calls it “nearly a decade,” and both the Daily Memphian and a report on Yahoo put the figure at eight years. What isn't in dispute is the timeline: the company broke ground at Crosstown Concourse in 2017, with WREG and the Daily Memphian agreeing the taproom opened in February 2018, at 1264 Concourse Ave., according to the Daily Memphian's account.
A Brewery Built Alongside a Memphis Landmark
Crosstown Brewing was founded by Goodwin and Clark Ortkiese, according to a report on Yahoo News. Ortkiese died on July 12, 2025, at age 45 after a yearlong battle with cancer, per the Memphis Beer Blog. In the years between its opening and its closing, the brewery built out distribution throughout Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas and, in 2024, expanded its taproom with a full kitchen in an effort to attract customers and generate revenue beyond beer sales alone, the Memphis Beer Blog reported.
The brewery's beers, including offerings such as Traffic IPA and Siren Blonde, became familiar pours around the region, the Yahoo report noted. Crosstown was also recognized in 2025 by the Memphis Business Journal with a Small Business of the Year award, according to the Memphis Beer Blog. Even with that recognition, most of the brewery's roughly 20 employees have moved on to other jobs ahead of the closure, WREG reported.
What Happens to the Beer and the Reason Behind It
Crosstown's distributor is expected to remain open, with its draft beers available at local-area restaurants and bars until supply runs out, according to the Yahoo report. Reporting on the reason for the closure has not been entirely consistent: the Memphis Beer Blog stated that the reason for the closure had not been announced, while Yahoo's report said financial reasons led to the decision. Action News 5 reports that Crosstown Brewing said it is proud of its beer and the community that grew around it.
A Tougher Climate for Craft Beer Nationwide
Crosstown's exit follows a rough stretch for Memphis breweries. Memphis Made closed its taproom in the Edge District earlier this year after declaring bankruptcy in 2025, WREG reported, while High Cotton brewery, also in the Edge District, was bought and renamed by Flyway Brewing in 2024. Memphis brewery owner Blair Perry summed up the mood to the Memphis Flyer: “It is bleak. It's really hard to be running a brewery right now.”
The pressure isn't unique to Memphis. The Brewers Association reported 481 U.S. craft-brewery closures in 2025, down from 591 the year before, even as total craft production fell 4% to 22,034,000 barrels and the number of operating craft breweries dropped 2.9% to 9,578 nationwide, according to the Brewers Association. Hospitality-driven models like brewpubs and taprooms, the trade group noted, remained comparatively resilient even as pure production brewers struggled.
What's changed, one industry voice told the Los Angeles Times, is less a sudden surge in closures than a collapse in new openings, driven by market saturation, changing consumer tastes and rising costs. Nationwide, the number of craft breweries fell 3.5% between 2024 and 2025 while production dropped 3.8%, the Times reported. The Memphis Flyer noted that only 300 new U.S. craft breweries opened in 2025, down from an astounding 518 the year before, alongside a 5.1% decline in total craft beer production and dips in both on-premise and off-premise alcohol consumption.
Similar closures have played out well beyond Memphis. Prohibition Brewing Company in Vista is shutting down after 15 years in business, and Mission Brewing in San Diego closed its tasting room in August, according to the Times. Triple Rock Brewery in Berkeley is closing after 40 years of making beer, while Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka is auctioning its equipment as its founder retires after 36 years, per CalMatters.
For now, Memphis drinkers have one more chance to say goodbye. Crosstown Brewing Company's taproom next to Crosstown Concourse will host its final pours from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday before closing its doors for good.
