USA, FL: Clearwater Brewing Company announces immediate closure

Pinellas county just lost one of its craft breweries, cltampa.com reported on August 23.

Clearwater Brewing Company, located in the Old Clearwater Bay neighborhood at 1700 N Fort Harrison Ave., took to social media to announce the unfortunate news.

“It is with great sadness that we announce that we are closing Clearwater Brewing Company effective immediately,” the brewery wrote on social media yesterday. “ We thank all of our customers, staff, and the City of Clearwater for your patronage and support over the last few years.”

Its website has already been taken down as well.

On commercial real estate website Loopnet.com, Clearwater Brewing Company's 1,736 square-foot parcel is listed for $825,000. In addition to the building and its outdoor seating space, the listing also includes its " 3 BBL Brewing System, multiple fermentation tanks, and a comprehensive cooling system.”

Co-owners Keith Ford, F. Bowling, Rob Neff and Howard Shirley purchased the old Clearwater gas station for $180,000 back in 2017, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Although its closure is effective immediately, its real estate listing has been online for the past several months.

In addition to popular beers like its "A Dolphin's Ale" IPA and Bomber's Brown Ale, Clearwater Brewing Company was also known for its variety of weekly events like open mic Wednesdays, drum circles and other live performances.

Keep your eyes peeled at 1700 N Fort Harrison Ave. to get the first look at the new business that may replace Clearwater Brewing Company. FHR Commercial Realty's Eric Perkins told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that he's in communication with "several interested buyers."

Clearwater Brewing Company joins the ranks of other breweries that have recently closed throughout Tampa Bay, including 7venth Sun's Seminole Heights taproom, West Tampa's Bay Cannon Brewing Co. and Rock Brothers Brewing in Ybor City.

24 August, 2023