Anheuser-Busch has announced its plans to close two U.S. breweries and sell a third, marking another significant contraction for the country’s largest beer producer. The changes are set to take effect early this year (as early as February) and will affect approximately 475 full-time employees, according to company statements.
Which breweries are shutting down
The closures include the Fairfield, California brewery, which has operated since the mid-1970s and served as a key production hub for the Bay Area. The facility is scheduled to stop brewing by early 2026, ending nearly five decades of operations.
In the Northeast, Anheuser-Busch will also shut down its Merrimack, New Hampshire, brewery, a plant that has been part of the local economy for more than 50 years. Both sites will cease brewing entirely, with production shifted to other facilities within the company’s U.S. network.
Newark facility to be sold
In addition to the closures, Anheuser-Busch will sell its historic Newark, New Jersey brewery, which opened in 1951. While the site will no longer operate as a brewery, the buyer plans to redevelop the property for industrial and logistics use, signaling a permanent end to beer production at the location.
Jobs, relocation, and severance
Workers at all three locations are being offered relocation opportunities to other Anheuser-Busch breweries nationwide or severance packages for those who are unable or unwilling to relocate. For many, the nearest Anheuser-Busch facilities are hundreds of miles away, making relocation infeasible.
Why the company is consolidating
Anheuser-Busch says the closures are part of a broader effort to modernize operations and concentrate production in fewer, higher-efficiency facilities. The decision comes as beer sales continue to soften nationwide, with Americans buying less alcohol overall and cutting back on traditional beer in particular.
For longtime brewery towns like Fairfield, Merrimack, and Newark, the announcements mark the end of an era — and another sign of how shifting consumer habits are reshaping even the most established names in American beer.
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