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City Steam Brewery, located in Hartford at 942 Main St. within the HH Richardson Building, will close on Sunday, March 31, the business announced on Thursday, March 21.
In a social media post, the brewery attributed the closing to its inability to recover from a burst sprinkler pipe that flooded the building and forced the business to close for four months, costing it half a million dollars.
"We have had an incredible run," the owners wrote in their closing announcement.
Originally opened as Brown Thomson and Company in 1980, the business quickly became successful and filled out a unique space within the centuries-old building, built in 1877 and an iconic example of Romanesque architecture.
The building also became the home of the Brew Ha Ha Comedy Club, which opened on the lower level.
The business spent nearly two decades serving a 100-item menu with "speed and flair" before converting to a brewery in 1997, becoming the second such business in the state, the owners said. The brewery took its name from its source of power — steam running below the streets of Hartford.
In its closing announcement, the brewery thanked the Hartford community for decades of success.
"It has been a pleasure and honor serving the greater Hartford community all these years!" the owners wrote, also thanking the city for supporting the downtown restaurant scene.
The owners also looked to the future and announced that they hope to sell the space to a prospective restaurateur.
"It is now time to hand the reigns over to another talented and creative restaurateur," the owners wrote, adding, "This iconic space at the head of the rejuvenated Pratt Street Historic district is ripe with opportunity."
Anyone with an interest in the space can contact the owners at jay@citysteambrewery.com.
The news of the brewery's closing garnered an outpouring of grief from social media commenters.
"So sad to hear, wish we had more time to have visited more often.... We will miss all of you there," wrote John E.
"So sorry to hear this. I have so many wonderful memories from the exciting opening from day one of BTs and City Steam," commented Nita K., who continued, "We shared some of the best memories with you. We always had the best of times, Birthdays, Meetings, and just a place to chill after work."
Although the brewery will soon be no more, the business will continue to distribute its craft beers at more than 1,500 grocery stores, liquor stores, bars, and restaurants throughout the state.
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