LEXINGTON, Ky. — At the end of August, Lexington and Louisville craft beer lovers said farewell to Pivot Brewing Company, which has been making craft beer and cider since 2016.

Behind the walls of the big red building off Delaware Avenue in Lexington, bartender Riley Robinson takes a final pass through Pivot Brewing Company’s taproom and production facility.

“Here is where all the production took place, all the beers, all the ciders. We made everything in-house,” Robinson explained.

“On the other side of that, we have where our food trucks would be. We let a lot of different local businesses come in here, something I’m proud of. We got to show a lot of the good food that Lexington has,” Robinson added. 

The bartender has been behind the counter for just three months. He says Pivot is one brewery in the city that’s held his attention.

“Coming from Michigan, it’s a great brew scene out there. I wasn’t disappointed when I moved to Lexington. A lot of great places, but this one stuck out to me,” he shared. 

Aug. 30 will be remembered as the day he and all those who enjoyed Pivot Brewing Company said farewell. 

Pivot Brewing owners and staff say they are stepping away from the business altogether.

“[It’s] run its course. Sometimes businesses just don’t work out. Nothing to do with the product or the people. Sometimes things just happen. That’s just life,” Robinson explained. 

Pivot Brewing Company has been a craft producer since 2016. According to a Kentucky Guild of Brewers’ 2021 report, despite Kentucky having the smallest number of craft breweries in the nation, they provide up to a thousand jobs a year across the state. 

“It’s very sad,” Robinson says. “I spent a lot of good times here. It’s a good place to just come and work here on my laptop and come meet friends here and bring people here when they come into town. So a lot of mixed emotions.”

Robinson says it’s a bittersweet end for so many who enjoyed the brewery.