Trumer Brewery is laying off dozens of employees as it prepares to close its Berkeley operation, marking the end of the Bay Area chapter for one of the region’s most recognizable craft lagers.
State filings show that 33 workers will be affected at the brewery and taproom at 1404 Fourth St., with permanent layoffs taking effect May 29.
The Gambrinus Company, which owns the facility, reported six employees impacted, while a separate filing from Trumer Brewery lists 27 workers tied to the closure.
The layoffs follow a recent ownership shift. Firestone Walker Brewing Co. announced in March that it had acquired the U.S. operations of Trumer, the Berkeley offshoot of the Austrian brewery Trumer Privatbrauerei.
Production of Trumer Pils, long brewed in Berkeley, is expected to move to Firestone Walker’s facility in Paso Robles. Gambrinus retained ownership of the Berkeley property and chose to shut down both the brewery and its taproom, which opened to the public in 2023.
“Our priority has always been to grow and steward Trumer Pils and ensure its future here in the United States,” said John Brozovich, CEO of the Gambrinus Co., in a statement announcing the deal. “Entrusting the brand to a family brewery that understands this responsibility was very important to us.”
Trumer began brewing in Berkeley in 2004, producing a single beer — its crisp, German-style pilsner — that became a staple on store shelves and bar taps across California.