Lagunitas won’t reopen Charleston brewery

Lagunitas Brewing will not reopen the Charleston, S.C., brewpub it took over in 2016 and was forced to close last year because it needed repairs. The company realized that renovating the building would cost too much to be worth it, company spokeswoman Karen Hamilton informed the The Post and Courier.

The building was constructed in 1880 as a store and warehouse for F.W. Wagener & Co. South end Brewery took it over in 1996, operating a popular brewpub. Lagunitas operated it for several months until last July, when the city ordered scaffolding put up to protect nearby pedestrians from bricks that might fall.

“That building seemed to be the perfect location because they were already a brewery,” Hamilton wrote in an email. “It takes buildings with a certain infrastructure to support the weight of a brewery as well as ceiling height, etc. So it is a unique thing. You just can’t set up shop anywhere.”

Despite the setback, the company has not given up on Charleston. “We’ve got our eyes open,” Hamilton said. “Or maybe not just another brewery but something else! We’re a fairly creative bunch so you never know.”