After nearly 3 years in business, Necromancer Brewing is permanently closing.
The brewery will be open for the last time this Thursday and Friday (February 22-23), giving away FREE beer.
We first wrote about the brewery back in 2021, when we previewed their brewery about to open in the North Hills neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
Since then, BIPA has held a few events in the space. You may even remember in May 2023 when they made national news by releasing the polarizing “Even Gayer” beer. Necromancer also made news in May by announcing a second location in the Greenfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
We spoke with Necromancer owner Ben Butler and asked him why this closure has come so suddenly. He had this to say:
Long story short, if you love your local brewery, hold them tight and don’t ever let them go. As an owner, my current perspective is absolute respect for anyone who has done this longer and continues to do so. It’s challenging.
Regardless of what the armchair lawyers of Facebook say, I think it’s important for patrons to understand just how many factors work against breweries from the state level. Breweries pay taxes on literally breathing, and as you might’ve seen recently in Pittsburgh, get told to stop operating without any temporary authority to operate to address state concerns. This issue isn’t unique to us.
The licensing issue wasn’t ultimately why we closed. Rather, it was a forced pause that made us evaluate the business’ well-being. We closed because we cannot financially continue. It’s that simple.
Our team poured blood, sweat, and tears into this company and I’m so thankful for what they did. To them, I’m so sorry it came down this.
The brewery also posted the below message on social media:
View this post on Instagram
Our time has come.
After taking time to pause this past week and evaluate our future, we’ve come to the difficult decision to close our doors.
We’re so proud of our team and all they’ve accomplished these past nearly 3 years. Our closure is no reflection of the quality of their work, their dedication, or the blood, sweat, and tears put into Necromancer. It’s an unfortunate financial decision, and one we do not make lightly. Between operating costs that continue to rise, and the overall state of the industry – there isn’t much room for error.
This closure unfortunately also means that our plans for Greenfield’s Midnight Whistler Pub will not come to fruition. We’d like to thank the Greenfield community for their support and excitement, and we truly hope that the neighborhood gets the watering hole it deserves in the very near future.
We respect the hell out of the breweries in our community who will continue the legacy of beer making in this city. It’s an immense feat to bring beer to your glass. We encourage you to continue to support others in Pittsburgh’s brewing community. It’s a tough industry.
This week we’ll be open Thursday and Friday from 4-10pm for one last go.
– All beer will be free to consume or take. Limit 1 case per person.
– Any on-site consumption must be done responsibly.
– We’ll have a virtual tip jar. 100% of all proceeds will go to our staff. If you grab a 4-pack, or pint, please contribute.
– And all merch and glassware will be for sale. Inner Circle and Founder’s Club members will be able to reserve up to (2) cases of beer and 2 free items while supplies last.
Please come and say goodbye.
Thank you for your support over the years. We are honored to have been a part of your lives – however big or small.
*This article was edited on 2/20 to update Ben’s quote
