Closing time for Elysian Brewing

Anheuser-Busch to shutter Georgetown plant

Up to 90 jobs could leave Georgetown when Elysian Brewing’s production facility on Airport Way closes at the end of the month, according to multiple reports. The adjoining taproom closed in mid-November joining a handful of other brewers departing the neighborhood in recent years.

Parent company Anheuser-Busch is consolidating Elysian’s production at its Capitol Hill location, which is receiving a $1.7 million upgrade. The move comes after the company failed to agree to a contract with union workers in Georgetown.

Founded in 1995, Elysian expanded into Georgetown in 2011 building a 35,000-square-foot brewhouse. Anheuser-Busch purchased Elysian in 2015, adding the brand to its portfolio of hundreds of beverages worldwide.

In July 2023, the brewery hosted Dust Fest on Airport Way, an afternoon of music and beer tasting. A month later, more than 30 Elysian workers in Georgetown voted to unionize and joined the Teamsters. Negotiations for a new contract, which included demands for higher wages and better healthcare, proved fruitless. In October, union members authorized a strike if further bargaining failed and rallied outside the facility. Last month, multiple sources reported the closing.

Some reports said up to 90 jobs would be cut in the closure, while others quoted company statements disputing that number.

In a statement, Local 117 Teamster Secretary-Treasurer Paul Dascher said it is difficult to prove the closing is retaliation for union involvement, “but, if true, reprehensible.” He said the company worked with the union to negotiate a fair severance. Nationally, about 5,000 Teamsters work at Anheuser-Busch breweries and ratified a new contract in March.

Elysian joins Counterbalance, Machine House and Lowercase Brewing, all of which left Georgetown or ceased operations in recent years.

Georgetown still has a few places to grab a truly local beer. Georgetown Brewing Company and Jellyfish Brewing Company still make their beers in the neighborhood and have tasting rooms open to the public.