Plymouth’s oldest craft brewery is closing its doors at the end of the year, the latest casualty in a nationwide decline in the popularity of independent breweries.
Mayflower Brewing Company, which was purchased last year by the owner of Orleans-based Hog Island Beer Company, will close its brewery and tasting room on Resnik Road on Dec. 31. It has been operating at the location since 2007.
The new owner said he will continue to brew the Mayflower brand at one of his company’s other facilities on Cape Cod.
“The space is just far too great for what we need, and the cost associated was pretty grand,” Mike McNamara, owner of Hog Island, told the Independent in a phone interview Monday.
The seasonal beer garden on the green in Pine Hills will remain open, and the company is looking for a new location for the brand’s tasting room, McNamara said.
Mayflower beer will be brewed in Hyannis at the Cape Cod Beer brewery, which McNamara said he bought at the same time he bought Mayflower.
“It’s a sizable brew house and has the available tank space to be able to support the production of both brands,” he said.
Five people work full time at the Resnik Road location, as well as some part-time employees in the tap room. McNamara said he is in discussions with them to see how many can stay on and where.
Plymouth has seven breweries. In addition to Mayflower, they are Vitamin Sea, Untold Brewing, Second Wind, IndieFerm, Llama Nama, and Sour Not Sorry.
While Plymouth has become a magnet for craft brewers, the overall industry has declined in recent years. Among the reasons: market oversaturation, a drop in alcohol consumption as health warnings about drinking mount, and the popularity of legal cannabis products.
According to the Massachusetts Brewers Guild, Massachusetts had 179 breweries as of July, down from 236 breweries in January 2025.
McNamara is mindful of the declining demand for craft beer. He said he brought in live music and added canned cocktails and wine to draw new customers to the Resnik Road tasting room.
But the location is a problem.
“Industrial park or corporate park breweries are challenged right now,” McNamara said. “People are really looking for more of an experience.”
Vitamin Sea, for example, draws on its waterfront location with ample outdoor seating in the warm months.
Fred Thys can be reached at fred@plymouthindependent.org