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With all the changes in the local craft brew industry, customers might be tempted to pour one out for the local brewhouse. But the shifting ground reflects the maturing of the industry, according to longtime North Texas craft brewers.  The list of shutdowns — which span from Fort Worth’s Funky Picnic, Neutral Ground, Fort Brewery and Pouring Glory to Dallas’ Deep Ellum Brewing, Brutal Beerworks in North Richland Hills and Shannon Brewing in Keller and the shift of production of Blood & Honey out of Granbury — may make it appear the foam has stopped bubbling in the local craft brewing industry. But before that tear lands in your beer over local craft brewers lost, it might be time to look outside the urban centers to spots where the craft brew industry is fermenting fast and furious. Just ask  Ryan Stewart of Parker County Brewing Co., which recently opened in a larger venue March 1. “We’ve reached the limit of what we can do at our current space,” Stewart said before his March 1 opening at 210 Willow Bend Drive at The Shops at Willow Park. “We needed a larger venue to accommodate our community while maintaining the atmosphere that makes Parker County Brewing Co. special.”The new location nearly doubled the previous seating capacity with 6,100 square feet of indoor space, along with a 6,000-square-foot outdoor patio designed for live music and large gatherings. Stewart said the brewery’s rapid growth, particularly in recent years, made expansion a necessity. “We’ve focused on providing a unique experience along with great service and great beer and people have responded to that,” he said. But even though Parker County Brewing, the county’s first licensed brewery since 1879, has resonated with customers, Stewart says he, like other craft brewers, are in a tough business. Prices for their essential products, such as barley, malt and hops, have increased 30% in the past few years. “It’s leveled off a bit recently, but those are cost increases we can’t control, particularly if we want to produce a quality beer, which we do,” he said. That, along with shifts in ownership among breweries, have led to plenty of changes, said Grant Wood of Granbury, now a brewmaster at nonalcoholic brand BERO. “A lot of people get into this industry when they’re young and they don’t realize what it takes to have a sustainable business,” he said. “Costs can rise in a business and you’ve got to be able to respond.” Data from the Brewers Association supports this growth in suburban and rural markets trend in the industry. According to the organization’s statistics, six breweries opened in Texas urban areas in 2024 — while 13 closed. In the Texas suburbs, six breweries opened and seven closed, while in the state’s rural areas, eight opened and only three closed.  Another issue impacting local brewers has been mergers and acquisitions. Wood himself has been part of that. Wood had worked at craft brewery pioneer The Boston Beer Co., famous for Samual Adams beer, for 16 years before returning to Texas and co-founding Revolver Brewing in Granbury. Wood and Revolver were the driving forces behind one of the certifiable hits of the brand and the Texas brewing industry, Blood & Honey, a pale wheat ale that blended the flavor of a blood orange peel and Texas honey.  Revolver Brewing was acquired by Molson Coors in 2016 as part of a craft brewer segment and by Tilray Brands, a global cannabis lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company, in 2024. Then earlier this year, the company announced it was ceasing production of Blood & Honey at the Granbury location and will instead brew it at one of the company’s other facilities. The Revolver Brewing facility in Granbury will continue to operate, focusing on other craft beers owned by Tilray Brands and the taproom will remain open, officials from the New York-based company said. Other changes are taking place locally, too. Fort Brewery & Pizza, which opened at 2737 Tillar St. near the West Seventh area in 2018, closed its doors at the end of 2024. While the public space is closing, the brewery and the name will live on. Owners Corrie Watson and Will Churchill, the twin great-grandchildren of car dealer Frank Kent, say they are closing the taproom to focus on the distribution of the beer brewed there and bringing private events to the space. “Over the years, our distribution has grown like crazy,” they said in a statement prior to the closing of the taproom. “We went from being found in just our tap room to over 175 retail outlets throughout DFW — and people are screaming for more.” While some like Parker County Brewery are thriving, others are closing their doors. That includes 9-year old Pouring Glory, a gastropub and growler station at 1001 Bryan Ave. in the city’s Near Southside, which opened before the South Main area became the hot entertainment center it is now. Wood notes that consumer tastes have changed recently. Sales of beer have been falling in recent years as consumers have shifted to spirits and, in many cases, nonalcoholic options. Craft brew sales fell by 1% in 2023, according to the Brewers Association, though that is less than the decline in sales in overall beer production, which was down 5%. “I think craft beer sales will come back, it just may take a few years,” Wood  said. As craft beer sales remain stagnant, one area of the beer market is growing: the nonalcohol segment.  According to a report by research firm Mintel in mid-2024, nonalcoholic beers have seen a 20% increase in sales. Wood himself has joined BERO, a nonalcoholic beer owned by Tom Holland, the English actor who portrays Spider-Man. “It’s tough to see these closings, and particularly tough because it may get harder for some good people to find jobs out there,” said Wood. “But I don’t think it’s forever.” Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org. 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