Portland, Oregon-based Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider will cease operations on September 24 after 12 years in business, according to the Oregonian. The closure comes just six months after Rev. Nat’s opened a new taproom in Southeast Portland.
Rev. Nat’s founder Nat West wrote on social media: “After 12 great years, it’s time to move on. September will be our last month in business.” The company will go out on with three final “Tent Show” releases, including Swan Song 8.5% ABV) and a pair of non-alcoholic ciders.
West started the business as a hobby when he was a stay-at-home dad.
“I opened Rev Nat’s in my basement in 2011, expanded into my garage in 2012, and opened at our first location off N.E. Broadway in 2013,” West wrote on social. “We grew a lot during the seven years in that building, and were able to play a huge role in the growth of cider in Portland, in the U.S. and around the world.
“Please don’t be sad! We’ve had an incredible run and I met so many amazing people and shared so many wonderful experiences. It’s been the best job I’ve ever had.”
Although “there is not a single reason” for Rev. Nat’s closing, West cited “a combination of factors,” mentioning “COVID closures, changing consumer preferences, the sputtering of craft beer overall and the decline of Portland as a worldwide tourism destination.”
Rev. Nat’s was producing around 8,000 barrels of cider annually in 2019, the Oregonian reported. The cidery employed around two dozen people and was planning “massive grocery store distribution across multiple states.”
The COVID-19 pandemic scuttled on-premise sales along with Rev. Nat’s expansion plans. The business pivoted to a smaller taproom and production facility in March, but traffic didn’t return to pre-pandemic levels.