"We could probably outlast this downturn, but do we really have to?" That's how co-founder John Martin explained to Berkeleyside why Triple Rock Brewery & Alehouse at 1920 Shattuck Ave. will close at the end of 2026, after 40 years. He and his brother Reid are in their mid-to-late 60s and getting close to retirement. Martin said rising costs were part of the decision but not the main reason.
The closing is about more than one bar. Triple Rock has been downtown's dependable inexpensive evening spot for a pint and a burger, and it is going away just as a group of new places opens a few blocks off. Most of those newcomers serve bagels, matcha and brunch. This fall, downtown Berkeley is adding morning business and losing its oldest night out.
Forty Years at 1920 Shattuck
Triple Rock's press release, dated September 17, 2026, calls it the oldest continuously operating brewpub in the United States. It opened on March 14, 1986, when the Martin brothers were 25 and 28. Back then, brewpubs had only been legal in California since 1983. Tom Bates, then an Assemblymember and later Berkeley's mayor, sponsored the bill that allowed them. According to the release, the City first told the brothers that a microbrewery belonged in an industrial part of town, not in the downtown business district.
Over four decades the brewery made 5,884 batches. That's more than 41,000 barrels, or over 10 million pints. Several people who learned to brew there went on to run well-known breweries, including Shaun O'Sullivan of 21st Amendment Brewery, Rodger Davis of Faction Brewing, Christian Kazakoff of Canyon Club and Teri Fahrendorf of Steelhead Brewing. Jeff Kimpe, who came from Pyramid Ales and Drake's Brewing, has been brewmaster for more than 12 years.
The Prices Behind the Decision
Martin linked the closing to Triple Rock's menu prices. The smashburger costs about $10. The "Chow and Brau" lunch special is $13.99 and comes with a 20-ounce beer, a main and a side. "Maintaining those prices is tougher and tougher, and we just don't want to price out our neighborhood and longtime clientele," he told Berkeleyside.
Martin also said that when Triple Rock opened, people came from all over California because a brewpub was still a novelty. California now has more than 900 brewpubs registered with the Brewers Association, and Triple Rock has become more of a local spot. That means its last stretch is mostly for the neighborhood that kept coming in, not for visitors.
What the Final Months Include
According to the release, Triple Rock is "open and operating as usual." The brothers want the coming months to feel like a reunion rather than a long goodbye. Here is what has been announced so far:
- Thursday Monkey Head Nights will continue.
- Throwback nights at 1980s prices, which Berkeleyside reports will include $1.75 pints, the 1986 price.
- Seasonal and specialty beers from the brewery's archives, plus more one-off beers.
- Visits from alumni brewers. Martin told Berkeleyside he hopes to bring back O'Sullivan, Davis and Kazakoff, among others, to brew at Triple Rock again.
- A Memory Wall on the Triple Rock website, where customers, former employees and friends can share stories and photos.
None of these events has a published date yet, and there is no confirmed last day. Triple Rock says it expects to stay open through the end of Cal's fall semester. Martin told Berkeleyside the last pint will probably be poured sometime between December 18, the semester's last day, and the end of the year. SFGate also described several nights at 1986 prices but gave no schedule.
The Martins own the building and say they will probably sell or lease it. Martin said they hope the next tenant is a brewery, pub or restaurant that serves the neighborhood. Current employees will have jobs to go to, including at Drake's and at Jupiter, the downtown Berkeley spot John Martin also owns.
What Opened Nearby This Fall
Berkeleyside's opening and closing roundups from late August through early October show more changes along Shattuck and University than in any other part of Berkeley. Most of the new places on this stretch are built around coffee, breakfast and lunch.
| Business | Address | What it serves | Status as reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley Bagels | 1941 University Ave. | Handmade New York-style bagels | Second location opened Aug. 27 |
| Ceré Tea | 2106 Shattuck Ave. | Matcha, hojicha, ube drinks, coffee | Soft-opened in mid-September |
| Top Dog | 2021 Shattuck Ave., inside The BreakRoom | Hot dogs and sausages | Opened in mid-September |
| Shattuck & Butter | 1511 Shattuck Ave. | Brunch | Soft opening announced for Oct. 15 |
| Eggy's | Moving to 2451 Shattuck Ave. | Breakfast | Temporarily closed during the move |
Ceré Tea is part of a matcha brand that is growing across the Bay Area. Its menu has ceremonial-grade matcha drinks with fruit purées, hojicha, espresso drinks and blended ube drinks. Eggy's left its spot in the Epicurious Garden on North Shattuck and is moving into the former Fish & Bird space at 2451 Shattuck. Its reopening date hasn't been confirmed. Shattuck & Butter, a new brunch restaurant, is taking over the space Eggy's left.
Top Dog Fills a Late-Night Spot
Top Dog is the one new arrival that stays open late. The 60-year-old Berkeley hot dog shop opened a second location inside The BreakRoom, a billiards hall and cocktail bar at Shattuck and University, about a block from Triple Rock. The Berkeley Eats digest reported on September 23 that it had opened the previous Friday and was serving lunch and dinner daily.
Before opening, the downtown location's planned hours, as reported by the Mercury News, were 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. Those hours may have changed since. The original Top Dog at 2534 Durant Ave. is still open, and the company site lists it as open daily until 2 a.m. Top Dog serves food without a sit-down beer list, and The BreakRoom serves cocktails over pool tables. Neither one replaces a brewpub with its own taps.
Two Downtown Closings
Two other downtown restaurants closed during the same weeks. Crepes A-Go-Go at 2055 Center St. has closed permanently, according to Berkeleyside's September 24 roundup. The Alborz location at 2175 Allston Way, a Persian restaurant known for kebabs, ghormeh sabzi and fesenjoon, had closed suddenly by October 1. Both were sit-down meals within a short walk of the BART plaza.
Timing a Visit Before December
Here's a rough schedule for anyone who wants a few more evenings at Triple Rock:
- October and November, any Thursday. Monkey Head Nights continue, and Thursday is the one night the release names specifically.
- Throwback-price nights, dates to be announced. The $1.75 pints and archive beers have been promised, but no dates have been published yet.
- Mid-December. The last day of Cal's semester is December 18, and Martin expects the final pint to come between that date and year-end. Downtown will likely be busy that week with students finishing finals, so an earlier visit may be easier.
- Any time before closing. The Memory Wall is open online for photos and stories.
Lunch is another option. The Chow and Brau special, priced at $13.99 when Berkeleyside reported on the closing, comes with a 20-ounce beer, a main and a side.
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