After Nearly 75 Years, the Beer Giant Shuts Down NJ Facility; Future Site Slated for Logistics & Industrial Use
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
NEWARK, NJ – Anheuser-Busch, the St. Louis-based beverage behemoth, announced on December 12, 2025, that it will be closing its storied brewery in Newark, New Jersey, in early 2026. This decision marks the end of a nearly 75-year presence in New Jersey’s largest city and definitively closes the chapter on Newark’s once-glorious, centuries-old beer-making industry.
The facility, prominently located on the southbound routes 1 & 9, is one of three Anheuser-Busch breweries slated for closure, alongside plants in Fairfield, California, and Merrimack, New Hampshire. Remarkably, the Newark facility is the second oldest among the beer giant’s 12 U.S. breweries.
Economic and Employee Impact
The closure directly affects 475 full-time employees across the three locations. Anheuser-Busch has stated that it will offer the affected workers a choice: comprehensive severance packages or the opportunity for relocation and employment at one of its remaining U.S. facilities, including financial assistance for the move.
The production of core brands, including Budweiser, Bud Light, Busch, Busch Light, Natural Light, and Rolling Rock, will be shifted to the company’s other U.S. operations.
“We will be shifting production from these three facilities to our other U.S. facilities and these changes will enable us to invest even more in our remaining operations and in our portfolio of growing, industry-leading brands,” Anheuser-Busch stated in a press release.
New Future for the Historic Site
The Newark brewery property is being sold to the Goodman Group, a specialist global industrial property and digital infrastructure organization. Goodman plans to “repurpose the site for industrial manufacturing and logistics uses,” aligning with the increasing demand for supply chain and e-commerce infrastructure close to major metropolitan areas.
Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka expressed mixed feelings about the transition:
“I am sorry to see Budweiser leave our city after having called Newark home since 1951… But I’m glad to know that the brewery intends to take care of the employees… I wish the company and all its employees well. And I welcome the Goodman Group as it prepares to put roots in Newark.”
A Look Back at Newark’s Rich Brewing Heritage
The closure serves as a stark reminder of Newark’s historical significance as one of the centers of American beer production, a legacy that began before the Civil War. Before Anheuser-Busch took root in 1951, Newark was the proud home to legendary brewers that formed the economic and cultural backbone of the city:
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P. Ballantine Co. (Est. 1840): The oldest brewery in Newark, whose owners’ grand residence, the Ballantine House, is now a National Historic Landmark and part of the Newark Museum.
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G. Krueger Brewing Co. (1934–1961): Famous for its slogan, “Some pronounce it Kreeger, some pronounce it Kruger, experts pronounce it best.”
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Joseph Hensler Brewing Co. (1855–1958): A significant long-running fixture in the local beer industry.
The departure of Anheuser-Busch represents the final curtain call for this incredible industrial history, marking the end of a decades-long brewing tradition on routes 1 & 9.
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The special ingredient that makes Budweiser taste so good is the water from the Passaic River…!