The Houston craft beer scene has lost another destination brewery. Ingenious Brewing Company announced it will soon cease operations on January 6, 2024.

News of the closing leaked over the weekend when the Humble-based brewery’s equipment became available for sale online. On Christmas Eve, co-owner Justin Gyorfi confirmed the rumors of the brewery’s closing via a Facebook post on a Houston craft beer community page. The announcement cited lingering financial difficulties from the pandemic as the primary reason for the closure.

“This decision stemmed from the end of fiscal year meeting we had with our bookkeeper last weekend,” Gyorfii wrote. “Essentially the rate of revenue loss was accelerating to the point it exceeded our capacity to operate.” The post also stated that the brewery’s staff was informed of the liquidity issues as ownership explored multiple avenues to stay afloat. “Unfortunately, the only solution we were able to find that allowed us to meet our financial obligations in January was to sell assets (brewing equipment).”

Ingenious posted an official announcement to social media on Tuesday, December 26 that confirmed its plans to close. It stated the brewery had a few beers to release and that the taproom’s final day of operations would take place on Saturday, January 6. Still, Gyorfi and co-founder Mike Broderick ended the message on a positive note.

We couldn’t make a depressing announcement like this without reflecting on the positives. Over the last 6 years we have had the extreme pleasure of producing a product and brand that brought joy to thousands. The support we had from the community was amazing and we are beyond thankful for everyone who helped us get this far. Along the way we met exceptional people. We worked and made lasting relationships with exceptional people. These memories will last a lifetime for us and there is great solace in that.

Ingenious Brewing opened its doors to considerable fanfare in 2018. It shook up Houston’s craft beer scene by focusing on styles popular in the Northeast, including lactose IPAs, fruited kettle sours, and adjunct-laden pastry stouts.

Local craft beer fans regularly lined up for its weekly releases. The brewery also released national collaborations with craft beer powerhouses The Answer and Tripping Animals.

Ingenious’s impending closure following the shutterings earlier this year of Black Page Brewing Co. and CounterCommon Beerworks & Kitchen. These Houston-area closures echo a growing, nationwide decline in demand for craft beer.

After more than a decade of exponential growth, the craft sector is cooling down. According to The Brewers Association, a trade organization that represents U.S. brewers, 2023 will mark the first reduction in craft beer sales and production since the pandemic. According to the trade association’s 2023 Year in Beer annual report, the slump has been attributed to “slowing demand growth, competition from across beverage alcohol, and a retail environment marked by declining draught sales and reduced shelf space for craft.” Along with the declining output, The Brewers Association also reported more than 385 craft brewery closures for the year.

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Ralph Palmer is a local beer blogger, a co-host of the Beer, Blood and the Bayou podcast, and a partner in the barbecue pop-up Deckle and Hide. Follow him on Instagram at eyefearnobeer.