RIP: Mishawaka Brewing.

The Hoosier Beer Geeks site breaks the sad news:

"Mishawaka Brewing Company Has Closed"

Mishawaka Brewing’s venerable brewpub opened in 1992 as perhaps the second in the whole state. It closed in 2008, but the Schmidts plowed ahead at their more recent production facility in Elkhart. I’d been hearing rumors of the closure, and dismissed them, seeing as nothing was said at the Brewers of Indiana Guild’s annual meeting two Saturdays ago. So much for wishful thinking.

Tom Schmidt forever endeared himself to the FOSSILS homebrewing club by driving all the way down to New Albany in winter, circa 1993, and speaking to the club in the company of voluminous samples – a brace of pony kegs, if memory serves. He later said that the fearsome reputation of Walking the Dog, the club’s newsletter, ensured a “yes” answer. It was a noble gesture in any event.

Breweries dying are like people dying. Neither man nor brewery is an island, and we are connected by commonalities of aspiration and experience. When I hear news like this, my reaction is militant: We shall overcome, and two breweries will arise where one previously stood. We’ll carry that flag, and we’ll carry that weight.

But stridence masks the grieving process, doesn’t it?

Maybe the Schmidts can come down now, visit, and just have a simple beer with NABC.

The orginal Mishawaka Brew Pub is closing, but beer will continue to flow.

From Bob Ostrander comes sad news, which is rendered doubly compelling for me when one considers that in 2009, NABC's original location on Grant Line Road in New Albany will be coping with the very same factors cited by the Schmidts, with the exception of the smoking ban (for a while, at least). I'm not as strident about the issue as Tom, but for us, the smoking ban (since vetoed) accompanied by the other factors would constitute a tough nut to crack in '09.

We, too, have greater restaurant competition, prospective road construction and the likelihood of higher property taxes for business.

Here's the overview from Bob: "The second oldest brewpub in Indiana, Mishawaka Brew Pub, is closing. But their other tap house, The Pub, and the new brewery in Elkhart will continue business as usual."

Strategic planning is a good thing. Wondering about the urgency of surmounting financing obstacles and getting a second revenue stream started at our Bank Street location? Wonder no more. Based on current realities, we're looking to open the tap room in February and the brewery in April or May ... about the same time that Grant Line Road construction gets under way.

Here's the Mishawaka press release.

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The Brew Pub Ltd. restaurant located at 3703 North Main Street, Mishawaka will be closing at the end of business on December 3, 2008.

The last few years have been a struggle with the increased competition of an unbelievable number of new restaurants, the closing of Main Street for an extended period of time, high property taxes, the smoking ban and the current recession.

We had an extension on the smoking ban and went to no smoking in September, 2007. In the first year after going non smoking, sales decreased over $120,000. Politicians obviously know what is best for us. Just keep raising taxes and meddling in business operations and then complain about governments falling revenues.

Under the current conditions we decided that it was time to pull the plug on the life support.

It should be noted for those who are not familiar with our structure that The Brew Pub Ltd is a corporation separate from The Mishawaka Brewing Company and The Pub (located at 408 W. Cleveland, Mishawaka at the corner of Grape & Cleveland).

The Mishawaka Brewing Company has continued to grow and in 2006 we opened a production brewery in Elkhart, IN. We will be consolidating the two brewing operations at our Elkhart location. Distribution will continue unchanged.

The Brew Pub Ltd restaurant was opened on October 19, 1992 and has been operating for over 16 years. We will miss it dearly as it has been our home away from home.

Economic times are tough, but the beers of The Mishawaka Brewing Company will continue to flow. All brewing, bottling, pigging and kegging will now be done in Elkhart. All of the beer will still be available for carry out at The Pub and at the brewery location in Elkhart including growlers, kegs and Party Pigs.

Tom, Barbara, Rick & Tami Schmidt