Ale Syndicate and Arcade Brewery closing

This one is going be an ugly mess to undo, and I feel for everyone involved who got caught on the receiving end of some very irresponsible decisions and for the bad blood those decisions and the silence around them will have most certainly drawn for the parties involved.

 

Mega Milk II was $2 off at OP Binny's yesterday. It was the last one Now I know why.

The Chicago market is so saturated with breweries. Sad to say most won't even notice these two are gone unless they read the article or BA.

 

Probably nobody, but when you get pulled over you'll leave in cuffs.

The ILCC is going to destroy these guys. I know the article says Ale Syndicate is planning to brew again in 2017 but... I don't see it happening. The fines that are about to be levied against them are going to make that impossible. If they can't pay rent/taxes, the future is bleak.

 

I think one lesson for all fledgling breweries is to realize that the esprit de corps that is often projected in the craft beer community can easily crumble when hundreds of thousands in loans are on the line.

 

I'm not surprised. So many breweries fighting for our dollars now.

 

And this makes me appreciate the little guys right now. Because they have to work because they have to give a damn. Ale Syndicate/New Chicago sounded like a cool thing to do because Chicago was a cool place to be.

 

Someone should buy the rights to all the failing breweries line-ups, recipes and trademarks and in 5 years launch a best of retro nostalgia brewery that cans all their favorites....

 

I like it. Maybe a "Retro Craft Brewery and Retro Video Game" combo?

 

It's not when you get pulled over, it's if you get pulled over.

That was my point in response to the "where did the beer go" question if Ale Syndicate didn't have a license. It seems pretty obvious. They sold it and apparently weren't caught operating without the license, just like how most legal infractions likely aren't notice.

You're right, though, that now that their non-compliance has been this widely publicized, I'd have to imagine that would create some real difficulty down the line if they do indeed try to legally make beer in the state again. I am not familiar, though, with how substantial the fines are for a violation like this, nor do I have any idea how they would stack up against the other apparent debt obligations of the company.

 

The IP of recipes isn't really protectable in the first place. That's an interesting idea, though, to buy up the rights to the trade dress, beer names, etc., and I won't be shocked if it happens.

 

I don't even know if you would have to buy it. You could probably just file for trademark, as it's not like Arcade brewing will be defending their brand very diligently.

Dick move to do, but I'm sure you could do it. (Outside of the artwork).

 

Chrisian Moerlein in Cincinnati did this with a number of older Cincinnati beers like Hudepohl and Little Kings. Those have way more history than a place like Arcade or Ale Syndicate - but it's an idea that's been done elsewhere for sure.