Assawoman Bay Brewing Co. closes in Ocean City
The trend has been bucked. A brewery has closed down on Delmarva.
Jason Weissberg, head brewer for Assawoman Bay Brewing Co., has confirmed that the brewery quietly shut down last October.
The brewery, which opened July 2014 at 45th Street in Ocean City, recently won best entry for its wheat beer, Weizen Shine, in the 2016 U.S. Beer Tasting Championship and began bottling popular brew styles early last spring.
"The decision to stop operations was not due to a lack of success," said Weissberg, who added production was up 68 percent from 2015.
READ MORE: Maryland wins big at U.S. Beer Tasting Championship
The brewery was best known for its Bayside Blonde pale ale, TransPorter brewed with hints of vanilla, caramel and roasted characters, and Angry Clown — a malt forward nut brown ale with a subtle hop bitterness to balance the malt profile.
Brewery owner Zev Sibony said ultimately, it was a business decision.
"The beer was phenomenal and Jason was great, but our hands were forced," he said.
When plans were finalized for a new hotel to take over the 45th Street Village, the brewery's fate seemed unclear, but owners had promised operations would continue in a new facility. The news to close was, "a shock," to Weissberg, who is now looking for new opportunities in the area.
BACKGROUND: Hotel to replace 45th Street Village in Ocean City
"I had a great time at Assawoman," he said. "And I know I'm not the only one who is going to miss it."
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