Sad news, I just came across the news that today (Saturday, November 26) is the last day for Griess Family Brews in Grants Pass, Oregon. They had originally posted the news on Facebook back on November 2, which I’m re-posting here:

UPDATE FROM DAVE GRIESS: The journey is almost over; Griess Family Brews will come to an end on November 26 2016. We started out over 3 years ago to build a good reputation and brew good beer. I think we accomplished that through hard work and the great support we have received from the community and the many new friends that we have met over that time. Though we will be retiring the brewery, the good news is that the Taproom will continue on with Carson taking over the reins at the end of the month. With the help of Jolie and Matt and Melissa Spurlock they will continue on with great food. They will also continue on with local great craft beer, wines and ciders. They have the passion and the desire and we hope that all of you that have supported us will continue to support them as we consider them part of our family.

This business was not started for us and we never intended it to be our full time jobs. The business has done well and we came to a crossroads, grow it or retire from it. Earlier in the year when Susie started having some health issues we decided that we just could not go on, even though we had the support of our great employees. We feel we did this right and have no regrets about what we started. When we went in front of the City Council in 2013 most Councilors did not even know what a growler was! The only breweries in town were Wild River and JD’s and now look. We like to think we helped in the growth of craft beer in Grants Pass.

There are too many people to list for Susie and I to thank but we would like to say thanks to Dave Matthews who really helped us when we needed it, his great personality was just what we needed, Matt and Melisa Spurlock who really supported and helped us as great business neighbors and who we now consider friends. They also brought Carson and Jolie into our lives who have contributed greatly to the growth of business. Our fellow brewers in town, hey we may not be Bend or Portland yet but we are going in the right direction! We have a good thing going and we wish you all success. Maybe now we will have the time to come to your places and enjoy. PJ and Lea who used to drive down from Portland on Friday nights and go home on Sundays just to help us out by working the taproom or helping us brew, and most of all I would like to thank my wife Susie who has made things happen and has done so much that we would still be brewing in our kitchen if it was not for her. And yes Dave R we made it!

Thanks to all of you for your support, we look forward to seeing you in the days leading up to our goodbye party. And we would like to invite you to come by on November 26th for food and music so we can tell each of you thank you for your support in person.

The business of brewing can definitely take its toll. Unfortunately I never had the chance to visit but I hope the best of luck to the new taproom operators.