Rock Bottom Brewery – Portland Shutters Operations and Closes

Thanks to a heads up from Niki Ganong, we have learned that Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown Portland has shuttered after 25 years in business. After a phone call was made to the Portland location, we now confirm that this location is officially closed as its last day of operation was Sunday, October 27, 2019. No additional comments were given about the closure of the brewery and restaurant. The only Oregon location has been scrubbed from its website but had social media postings as of yesterday. This all comes on the heels of last week’s announcement of Lompoc Brewing shuttering its operations.

According to KPTV/FOX12, Rock Bottom was unable to extend their lease with the landlord at this location.

Rock Bottom first opened in downtown Denver in 1991 and was named after the fact that it was located at the base of the Prudential Building. The brewery then opened locations across the country, including one here in Portland that was located at 206 SW Morrison Street. Other locations across the country continue to do business, but after the closures in Seattle and Bellevue a few years ago, Rock Bottom is no longer part of the beer scene across the Pacific Northwest.

Nine years ago, Rock Bottom Brewery and Gordon Biersch Brewery merged after they were acquired by Centerbridge Capital Partners and formed the new CraftWorks Restaurants and Breweries. This group also owns Old Chicago Pizza locations that includes three in the Portland area that are currently in operation along with Logan’s Roadhouse.

Through the years Rock Bottom has been well known for the starting point of many prominent brewers including the long tenure of Van Havig, now of Gigantic Brewing along with many others across the country. Havig is also a member of the Order of the Black Phoenix, a group of former Rock Bottom brewers that have all gone on to successfully open their own breweries. This list includes Three Floyds Brewing, Sun King Brewing, Surly Brewing, Haymarket Pub and Brewery, Solemn Oath Brewing, Wiseacre Brewing and many more!

In addition to Havig’s tenure here in Portland, other brewers to come out of this location includes Charlie Hutchins, Bolt Minister (54 40 Brewing) and Scott Guckel (Gigantic Brewing). No word on where Portland’s last brewer, Todd Britt will land.

Whenever we visited the Rock Bottom here in Portland we found it to be doing some decent business, especially during happy hour where it the bar area was routinely busy. The beer that was being produced there by Britt held up to others in the city and it was nice to have a spot in downtown that was open past 10pm. Unfortunately due to its sudden, immediate closure we will not be able to raise one last pint there.