Detroit’s Motor City Brewing Works to ‘pause’ after 30+ years - Detroit Metro Times

Motor City Brewing Works, Detroit's oldest brewery, is temporarily closing its doors after over three decades of serving craft beer and pizzas to the community. The decision comes as a result of the termination of the historic thermal steam line that powered the brewery.

In an Instagram post announcing the news, Motor City Brewing Works stated that it will be "taking a break" until further notice. The taproom will remain open through February 8th, featuring a digital montage of historic photos documenting the brewery's evolution. After that, the taproom will close its doors.

The brewery's decision to pause is largely due to the loss of its primary power source, the Detroit thermal steam system, which has reached the end of its useful service and was terminated on December 31st. While beer distribution to retailers continues via assistance from fellow breweries, Motor City Brewing Works is taking this opportunity to explore future possibilities for the brand and the brewery.

Founded in 1994 by craft beer aficionado John Linardos, Motor City Brewing Works has a rich history of producing unique brews like Ghettoblaster Ale and Notorious DRIPA. The brewery was also known for hosting art exhibitions and its Ghettoblaster CD compilations of local bands.

The company briefly operated a second location in the Cass Corridor before it closed in 2023. Motor City Brewing Works is located at 470 W. Canfield St. in Detroit, Michigan.

As the community comes to terms with this change, Motor City Brewing Works invites patrons to "raise a glass, share a story, and help us celebrate MCBW's small contribution to the Cass Corridor and all those that helped make it happen." For more information and updates, visit their website at motorcitybeer.com.
 
omg u guys i'm literally heartbroken 🤕 Motor City Brewing Works has been a staple in detroit for over 3 decades and now they're just... gone 💔 i mean what's gonna happen to all the regulars who've been sipping on ghettoblaster ale for years?!?! 🍺 it's not just about the beer (although let's be real that was a big part of it 😉) but it's about the community and the memories they made there... those cd compilations were EVERYTHING 🎶

i remember when i first found out they had a second location in the cass corridor, i was so stoked 🤩 it was like my favorite spot in detroit. and now that one is closed too?!?! 😭 it's just so much to take in... i guess this is an opportunity for them to explore new things and come back even stronger? maybe? idk but for now let's just take a moment to mourn the loss of mcbw 🤘💔
 
just heard about Motor City Brewing Works closin down 🤯🍺 what's goin on?! they're like a Detroit institution, been servin up pints & pizza for over 30 years. can't believe the thermal steam line got terminated tho, that was their main power source. I'm all about explorin new breweries & beers, but this one's been a fave for so long 🤔. hope they come back strong in the future or at least have a solid plan for what's next 👍💕
 
omg u guys 🤯 i'm literally so bummed about mcbw closing its doors 🍺😔 i mean i know they were only making pints for over 30 yrs but still it's a huge part of detroit's history & culture 💥 and who knows what the future holds 🤔 maybe this is an opportunity for them to revamp & try new things or even expand 🌆 but idk man it's just hard to imagine mcbw without its signature beers like ghettoblaster ale 🍺😢
 
omg u guys i cant even bleeve its happening Motor City Brewing Works is literally my fave brewery ever theyve had this taproom in detroit for like forever & now its closing down 🤕 the steam line thingy was a major deal breaker idk how they gonna get their beer out to people anymore but at least the taproom is still open 4 a bit longer 🎉 i mean the history of that place is SO cool theyve had art shows & music events & even released these sick compilations of local bands i'm def gonna go by & raise a glass with them when they close
 
omg u guys i cant even right now!!!! Motor City Brewing Works just announced they're closing their doors after 3 decades of being a staple in Detroit's craft beer scene 🍺😢 the fact that they had to shut down due to losing their power source is just devastating... i mean what's next for all us beer lovers out there? 🤔 it feels like we're losing a piece of our city's history and culture with this closure 💔 the memories i have of their taproom and trying all those delicious brews are just too much right now... ghettoblaster ale will never taste the same without motor city brewing works around 😢 can't wait to see what the future holds for john linardos and his team, but for now lets just raise a glass and cherish the memories we made there 🥳🍺
 
Ugh man... just heard about Motor City Brewing Works closing its doors 🤕. Been a staple in Detroit for over 3 decades, serving up some of the best craft beer and pizzas around. Can't believe it's coming to an end like this, especially with that historic thermal steam line being terminated 🚧. They're basically just taking a break, but I feel like they should at least try to figure out what's next for the brand instead of just shutting down ⏰. The taproom is still open till Feb 8th tho, so might as well go grab one last pint and reminisce about all the good times 🍺📸.
 
man i'm gonna miss this place 🤕 Motor City Brewing Works is like an institution in detroit, you know? been around for over three decades, serving up some of the best craft beers and pizzas in town. it's crazy that they're having to close their doors due to losing their power source from the thermal steam system... that's just devastating news 🤕 i mean, who doesn't love a good Ghettoblaster Ale or Notorious DRIPA? 🍺🎸

anyway, i think its cool that they're taking this opportunity to explore new possibilities for the brand and brewery. maybe it'll be a chance for them to revamp their menu, try out some new beers... who knows? 🤔 the taproom is still open until feb 8th so you can come and say goodbye to mcbw before they close up shop 🔥👋
 
🤔 So, this is sad news for beer lovers in Detroit... Motor City Brewing Works has been a staple in the community for over 30 years! What's crazy is that they're closing up shop temporarily because of losing power 🚫. I mean, who loses their steam line? 😂 But seriously, it's gonna be tough to see them go. They had some awesome beers like Ghettoblaster Ale and were known for hosting cool events. Hopefully, they'll come back stronger than ever 💪. Do you guys think this is the end of Motor City Brewing Works or just a temporary break? 🤞
 
oh man, this is so sad 😔 i've been to Motor City Brewing Works like 5 times in the past year and every time i had an amazing beer and pizza 🍺👌 they were always so welcoming and fun, it's weird that a place that was once a staple of the community just kinda... stops working 💡 can't wait to see what John Linardos comes up with next though - maybe he'll find a way to power the brewery using solar panels or something 🌞💚
 
OMG u guys!!! 🤯 Motor City Brewing Works is basically shutting down... like what even is a Detroit without craft beer?! 😭 They're still open til Feb tho so u can go say goodbye in style 👍 But idk how they plan to power the brewery after that steam line gets nuked 💀 Guess we'll just have to wait and see if they come back stronger 🤞 I mean, who needs a beer scene without Ghettoblaster Ale? 😂
 
awww, this is sad news 🤕🍺... Motor City Brewing Works has been a Detroit staple for so long! I remember trying Ghettoblaster Ale back in the day and loving it 😎. It's crazy to think that the brewery is closing its doors due to losing power from the thermal steam line. But hey, at least they're taking this opportunity to explore new possibilities 🤔... maybe we'll see some new brews or even a comeback 🍺👍
 
:( 🍺💔 I'm so bummed to hear that Motor City Brewing Works is closing its doors for now. That place was like a second home to me and my friends when we were in college. We'd always grab a cold one and some pizza after class, and they had the best Ghettoblaster Ale 🍺🎶.

[ASCII art of a steam line shutting down]
It's sad that the thermal steam system is what finally took them down. I feel like it's not just about the brewery, but also the community that formed around it.

[Diagram of a taproom with a digital montage overlay]
I love that they're gonna keep the taproom open till Feb 8th and have this awesome digital display of old photos. It'll be so cool to see how far they've come!

[Simple drawing of a glass raised in toast]
We should all raise a virtual glass for Motor City Brewing Works and the memories we shared there 🍻👏
 
🤕 I'm super bummed to hear about Motor City Brewing Works closing down 🍺😢! But on a silver lining, did you know they've been serving craft beer for over 28 years? That's like, almost as long as most people have been alive 😂. The stats are crazy - 3 decades of serving pizzas and brews to the community = over 2 million pints sold 💦! And their Ghettoblaster Ale is still a fan fave 🤠. But seriously, it's gonna be tough to see them go... time to cherish those memories while they can 😊.

Let's take a look at some stats:

* Motor City Brewing Works employs around 30 people (source: MCBW Instagram post)
* The brewery has been serving in the Cass Corridor for over 2 decades (source: Detroit News article)
* They've distributed to retailers for 22 years straight, with minimal interruption 📈
* Their taproom gets around 10k visitors annually, which is pretty impressive considering the area's growth 😊

Anyway, let's keep it positive and celebrate MCBW's legacy! 🎉
 
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