Well folks, the hits just keep coming. Chincoteague, Virginia’s Black Narrows posted the following to their Facebook page earlier today.
“We love y’all. We’re so sorry friends, but we’ve decided to close our doors for good. Our “Celebration of Life” will be held on Death By Chocolate Weekend, February 16-18 (details to come.) We’re sad to say goodbye to Black Narrows Brewing Co. It was a beautiful brewery and we held on for one wild ride. We’ll look back on this time, treasure the highs, learn from the lows and hold onto all the memories made, good and bad.
We brought two babies into the world here. We gathered around the table too many times to count. We made award winning beers from the Land + Waters of Virginia’s Eastern Shore. We highlighted the faces of so many local farmers and makers. We paved the way for others. We curated weddings and celebrations and one of a kind festivals.
We watched relationships begin and end. We laughed and cried with you. We watched your children grow. We fought cancer within these walls. We mourned the death of friends and loved ones. We got our Irish on at times. We lost patrons over disagreements. We gained new ones because we were our authentic selves. We lived + loved.
The whole world shut down and we thought that was it. Months later, we woke up to a new life, a new normal. We faced personal crisis after crisis. We overcame them. We learned what we were made of. We hoped and we prayed for new beginnings. We got back to our roots. We got back to the simple things in life.
But we watched with sadness while dear friends across the nation closed down their own breweries, pubs and bottle shops. We soon felt the effects of inflation. We lamented with folks in the food + beverage industry while ingredients, equipment and labor costs soared. There were other reasons why we couldn’t continue. It was all too much.
While we don’t want to see this chapter close, like everything in life, the end comes at one time or another. You never know how long a dream will last or what the next day will bring. We believe there is a rhyme, a reason for everything. We may not see the “why” right now in the midst of it all, but we hold onto the idea that the journey will help shape us. We’ll be stronger for it.
We made a lot of mistakes along the way. We’ll be the first to tell you. We’re imperfect people doing our best in a broken world. We gave it our all. We’re so grateful to you. We’re so thankful for your love, for your time and for your support over the years. We couldn’t have made it this far without you. We hope you know that, feel that, as we wave farewell.
Here’s a thought we’d like to leave you with today. SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS. If you want your coffee shop, your taco stand or your indie bookstore to stick around, frequent them. Fast foods, online shopping and big box stores are easy + efficient, but the really beautiful things in life are the small ones. Shop at your local farmer’s market. Find incredible people that make things with their own two hands. Support them.
There are more small businesses struggling on the brink than you think. Could they scrape by? Possibly? But what would that mean for their family in the long run? Their health and sanity is at stake. Their future is unclear. They need you. They need tangible support. Go to their side and stand with them. Stand with their ideas. Make new waves within the community. Speak up about more freedom for small biz.
There is a silver lining. We can’t share details (at this moment) about what’s in store for The Shore, but you haven’t tasted the last pint of these Land + Waters. If you’d like to be in the know about a new chapter of local craft beer sweeping across the Delmarva Peninsula, please email Jennachapy@gmail.com with your name + email and we’ll send you the happy news when it comes down the pipe. New beginnings await us all.
Be sure to come by for DEATH BY CHOCOLATE weekend and help us celebrate the end of a really good thing. LOVE Y’ALL to the moon and back.”
Josh Chapman probably isn’t done brewing on the Delmarva peninsula. Stay tuned…
