Modern Times Beer Replaces The Commons Brewery

San Diego-based Modern Times Beer will open its second brewery at 630 SE Belmont St., currently home to The Commons Brewery. The Commons Brewery has not been sold, but its future is unclear. It will remain in operation for most of 2017, before vacating the space, and Modern Times aims to start pouring in its place with a remodeled tasting room on January 1, 2018.

The Commons’ closure is a bombshell for the Portland beer community. In its coverage, New School Beer writes, “The Commons appears to be the first high-profile Oregon victim of the slowing growth of the craft beer industry.”

But in his announcement, Modern Times founder Jacob McKean describes the deal as a mutually beneficial agreement between friends:

“When Mike (Wright, founder of The Commons Brewery) contacted me earlier this year,” writes McKean, “he let me know that the current space wasn’t working well for their operation and asked if I was interested in leasing the space. It pretty quickly became clear to me that this was something we should do. It filled a real need for Modern Times — we’re capacity constrained, in part due to our success in the Pacific Northwest — while helping out a friend of the brewery who had shown us support and solidarity along the way.”

Modern Times says its Portland location will be called The Belmont Fermentorium, and the long-term goal is to add a coffee roaster, café, and full food menu. The brewery has also purchased a warehouse adjacent to 630 SE Belmont St., and once everything’s fully up and running, its brewing capacity will be 20,000 barrels. According to McKean’s statement, this includes “all of the Modern Times draft beer for distribution in the Pacific Northwest.”

• Modern Times Beer [Official
• The Commons Brewery Shutters to make room for Modern Times Beer [New School Beer]
• The Commons Brewery Will Cease Operations As Modern Times Beer Will Take Over Its Space [Brewpublic]