Motor City Brewing Works marked 31 years of brewing on January 1, 2026, and we’re feeling incredibly grateful. Grateful for the people who drank the beer, made the art, played the music, showed up week after week, and helped turn this place into something much bigger than a brewery. From the liquid to the art to the music, Motor City Brewing has always been about community.

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We invite you to join us through Sunday, February 8th, to spend some time reflecting on the last three decades. Until our final day of taproom service we will be displaying a digital montage of historic brewery photos and events pulled from the many chapters that have lived inside these walls.

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After February 8, the taproom will pause while we figure out what comes next. Beer distribution to our retailers will continue during this transition as we take a thoughtful look at the future of the building and the brand.

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This pause comes down to something very real and very Detroit. The brewery runs on the city’s historic thermal steam system. After more than a hundred years, our section of steam line that powered the kettle and much of the brewery reached the end of its life, and service was permanently shut off on December 31. While that change forced our hand, it also gives us a moment to step back and consider longer-term possibilities.

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We’re using this time to explore next steps, whether that’s reworking infrastructure, finding the right partners, or identifying a succession path that respects the history of this place while giving it a future.

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We know there will be questions, and we appreciate your patience as things come into focus. We’ll share updates as decisions are made.

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For now, we hope you’ll stop by, share a beer, swap stories, and help us celebrate the memories of the Cass Corridor and Motor City Brewing Works’ small but meaningful place in it. This place has always belonged as much to the community as it has to us. That hasn’t changed.