COLUMBIA, S.C. — In a letter on its Facebook page, Conquest Brewing announced that it will "soon wind down operations."
Opened in 2012 in a warehouse near Williams-Brice Stadium, Conquest was Columbia's first production brewery since Prohibition.
About the decision to close, the letter states:
"There’s no single reason for this. A combination of internal and external factors and odds and ends we won’t bore you with have us sitting where we do now. The decision to sunset this brewery at this time was not an easy one, but it is the one we have chosen to make. Our personnel will be moving on to and, as the case may be, refocusing on endeavors that are important and rewarding for them. To a large degree the timing of this decision has been selected with personnel factors in mind.
"With deep sincerity, we thank you for every bit of support and laughter you’ve shared with us during our time together. Mostly, thank you for making this all possible. You don’t know how gratifying it is to see ambitions in a glass in the hands of happy people enjoying life for a moment. "
No closing date has been set, but the letter says that the closing will happen "around the beginning of fall.
Meanwhile, there are a handful of new beers in production, and the taproom at 947 S. Stadium Rd is still open.
