Berkeley is losing one of its most iconic beer institutions, with the city’s famed Triple Rock Brewery set to shut down after four decades.
The brewpub, which opened in 1986, will close its doors by the end of 2026, ending a 40-year run that saw it become a fixture for generations of UC Berkeley students, alumni and locals. It is recognized as the oldest continuously operating brewpub in the US, according to the San Francisco Chroncile.
Brothers John and Reid Martin founded Triple Rock after deciding Berkeley could use more beer.
Four decades later, the brothers are retiring, with the family business facing a problem that has become increasingly familiar across the alcohol industry: There is no family successor interested in taking over, while alcohol sales have suffered a major downturn.
Triple Rock says it has poured more than 10 million pints since opening, becoming a launchpad for brewers who would go on to careers elsewhere in the craft-beer world.
The brewery’s own website bills it as Berkeley’s “OG Taphouse” and says it was the fifth brewpub to open in America and the oldest still operated by its original founders.
Triple Rock plans to continue normal operations through December, with special events planned to celebrate its four decades of beer, including releases of classic brews and retro-themed nights. Its signature Monkey Head beer remains a weekly Thursday fixture.
The Martins own the building and plan to either lease or sell it after the closure. Staff are expected to be offered positions at some of the family’s other businesses, including Drake’s Brewing, Bear Republic and the Jupiter restaurant, SFGATE reported.
The closure comes as Berkeley’s beer scene has already taken another hit this year. Trumer Brewery’s Berkeley taproom closed in May after Firestone Walker acquired the company’s US operations and moved its brewing operation to Paso Robles.
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