It's a sad day for Bradenton beer lovers: two breweries are closing. 

3 Keys Brewery announced in a social media this week that it will permanently close at the end of the month, citing the economic slowdown, and Motorworks Brewing is facing eviction from its Ninth Street West facility.

Motorworks Faces Eviction Due to Foreclosure Case

Twelve-year-old Motorworks Brewing is facing eviction from its Ninth Street West facility because of a $1.9 million foreclosure case, according to the Bradenton Herald.

Until recently, the brewery was still raking in accolades: this year, its ThaIPA and Headlight Lager won good medals at the 2026 Best Florida Beer Championship, and 27,000-square-foot brewery is known for its popular beer garden (the centerpiece of which as a 150-year-old oak tree),  live music and food truck gatherings. The Bradenton brewery and event space opened in 2014; in 2020, the company opened another taproom in downtown Orlando. That location has closed, too, and a notice posted to its door on May 26 said Motorworks currently owes $12,679.24 in unpaid rent. 

3 Keys Says Slow Economy Has Made Running the Business Impossible

In its social post announcing the closure, 3 Keys ownership cited the economy as the reason it's closing after seven years in business. "“Like so many small businesses, the continued slowdown in the economy has made it no longer possible for us to keep going," the owners wrote. "It is not the ending we envisioned, but we are at peace knowing we gave it everything we had and that you were with us every step of the way." The brewery will be open  through Sunday, May 31, for visitors to stop by for one last drink.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Calusa Brewing (@calusabrewing)

Remembering Calusa Brewing's Geordie Rauch

Bradenton's craft beer scene isn't the only area that's faced turmoil in recent months. In March, Calusa Brewing owner Geordie Rauch passed away after an unexpected cardiac event at age 45. A Sarasota native, Rauch went on to become a Navy SEAL, but returned home after his military service, opening Calusa in 2016 with his friend and brother-in-law Vic Falck. The brewery celebrated its 10th anniversary in April, and last week, it brought back a beloved beer in honor of Rauch's birthday: Cat Brules, a West Coast IPA named after the fictional main character from Brules, a western novel by Harry Combs that was Rauch's favorite book and his online alias. "He did not like social media, but knew he had to have it to follow Calusa," Falck wrote in a comment on the post announcing the beer's return to the menu. "Missing you every day,  brother, but a little extra today."