In a sudden shock to the Central Pennsylvania craft beer community, Jackass Brewing Company has officially shut down all operations. The brewery made the abrupt announcement on social media, dropping the news on a Sunday afternoon and giving patrons virtually zero advance warning before locking the doors for good at eight o’clock that very same night.
For residents across Union and Lycoming counties, the announcement felt like an immediate gut punch. There was no farewell week, no final weekend of celebratory pours, and no prior heads up to give regulars a chance to swing by for one last pint or say goodbye to the taproom staff. Instead, locals scrolling through Facebook were met with the sudden news that a staple of the local beer scene for seven years was coming to an abrupt end in a matter of hours.
The decision to close comes just three months after a tragedy devastated the brewery family. In late June, sixty-one-year-old co-owner Larry Winans passed away unexpectedly after suffering cardiac arrest during the swim portion of the Happy Valley Ironman Triathlon. Winans, a former dentist who co-founded the brewery alongside his best friend Skip Kratzer, was widely remembered as a pillar of positivity and a true driving force behind the business.
Following Winans’s tragic passing in June, co-owner Skip Kratzer expressed hope that the brewery would carry on in his memory and continue serving as a community hub in Lewisburg and Williamsport. However, as stated in the company’s final social media message, the emotional and operational weight of losing Larry proved to be a heartbreak that the remaining team ultimately could not overcome.
While the loss of a key founder is a devastating blow for any small business, the complete lack of public notice has left many fans and community members reeling in disbelief. Suddenly shutting down multiple active taprooms within hours of a social media post highlights just how quickly behind-the-scenes struggles can reach a tipping point in today’s tough craft beer market.
Jackass Brewing Company first grew out of a homebrewing partnership between Winans and Kratzer, eventually expanding from a single location in East Buffalo Township near Lewisburg into a multi-taproom presence that included Williamsport. Over their seven-year run, they navigated the challenges of the pandemic and built a loyal regional following. Now, that chapter comes to a sudden and quiet close, leaving loyal patrons shocked by how quickly an established local brewery can disappear overnight.
