After 40 Years, An Iconic Berkeley Brewery Is Getting Ready To Pour Its Final Drink

BERKELEY, CA — Triple Rock Brewery and Alehouse in Berkeley will shutter at the end of the year, bringing a decades-long chapter to a close.

The closure comes as co-founders and brothers John and Reid Martin look to wind down their business operations as they approach retirement.

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"After 40 years, we are ready to spend less time navigating the day-to-day and more time exploring some of the other things we have put off along the way," co-founder John Martin said in a statement on Thursday.

What began as two brothers' brew passion turned into a movement. Triple Rock first opened in 1986 as "Roaring Rock Brewery, and over the years, played a pivotal role in the growing craft brew movement.

Many of today's most popular brewers may not have gotten their start without them.

"In the early days, many times we would have to explain what a 'brewpub' actually was," Martin said. "The City of Berkeley didn't understand it and told us that our microbrewery needed to be in an industrial part of town, not in the Downtown business district."

Throughout the years, Triple Rock has brewed 5,884 batches – equal to more than 41,000 total barrels and over 10 million pints, Martin said.

"The Martins are equally proud of the hundreds of bartenders, cooks, servers, managers, and support staff who helped make Triple Rock what it became," Martin said. "Triple Rock was never just the two of us. It was built by generations of incredible employees who gave so much of themselves to this place, and it was supported by our community that kept showing up year after year."

The brewery will remain open at least through the end of UC Berkeley's fall semester and will operate as normal until then. Martin said the property will likely be put up for sale or leased after the closure.

As Triple Rock prepares to close, the Martins invite patrons and community members to share their favorite photos and memories at the brews online "Memory Wall."