Hair of the Dog Brewery founder Alan Sprints on Tuesday delivered an announcement many hoped would never come: The last day for the beloved Southeast Portland brewery and taproom will be Sunday, June 26.
Sprints in February had announced he was retiring and would close the brewpub 29 years after opening it in 1993, but he had provided no closure date except to say the last day would be in the summer. He delivered a bit of good news for fans as well, saying that even though he’s shutting down the brewhouse, he still planned to do collaborations with other breweries.
“I feel so proud that my beers have been able to connect with so many wonderful people,” Sprints said in announcing the closure date by video posted to Facebook on Tuesday.
He said the brewery’s web store would be open “for some time,” and he said a good selection of beers remained available.
“If you’ve placed an order and it’s waiting at the brewery for pick up, please plan to visit soon,” he said.
Hair of the Dog is a pioneer among craft breweries in Portland and beyond, brewing big, bold, beers and barrel-aging offerings long before they became popular.
The brewery opened in Southeast Portland near the Brooklyn rail yards and operated there for nearly two decades. He built a reputation not only in Portland, but around the world as well – one of Hair of the Dog’s bottles once sold for $2,000.
In 2010 Sprints moved Hair of the Dog to inner Southeast’s industrial warehouse district, opening the taproom and a new brewhouse in an old warehouse and ice factory.
He signed off with a word of gratitude to his customers over the years.
“Thanks for so many special memories,” Sprints said. “Cheers to you all.”
— Andre Meunier; ameunier@oregonian.com; sign up for my weekly newsletter Oregon Brews and News, and follow me on Instagram, where I’m @oregonianbeerguy
