Big changes are brewing in downtown Minneapolis’ beer scene.

Finnegans Brew Co. is closing its Elliot Park taproom at the end of August but will continue producing and serving its beer at a nearby brewery, while Brew Lab 101 closed without warning last week only five months after it opened on the edge of the North Loop.

Finnegans announced on Tuesday that it’s exiting the four-story building at 817 Fifth Ave. S, where the philanthropic beer company opened its first production brewery, taproom and private event space in 2018. But Finnegans will continue to make its flagship brews at Fulton Beer’s Northeast production facility and serve them in Fulton’s North Loop taproom at 414 Sixth Ave. N.

Brew Lab 101 hasn't shared an update on its status yet, but its website says “temporarily closed due to unforeseen circumstances.” The brewery had been struggling and eliminating staff leading up to the closure, according to Steph March of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. Brew Lab 101 also didn’t make a big announcement when it quietly opened in February at 25 N. Fourth St., the former Clockworks Brewing space, next to the Minneapolis Police Department’s First Precinct.

Finnegans used to be a hotspot for post-work happy hours, especially on Fridays, but those have dried up with pandemic-prompted shifts in hybrid work, and it's “been a challenge to make the (brewery’s) business model work” with fewer people downtown, CEO Jacquie Berglund told Twin Cities Business.

“We are very excited to work with the Fulton team in creating an innovative partnership between urban breweries that have all faced so many challenges beyond our control over the past few years,” Berglund said in a statement. 

“Through it all, we’ve retained our entrepreneurial spirit and drive for creating positive change. We’re excited about being able to channel our energy into continued growth and reimagining a new future for Finnegans.”

An event venue called Mosaic currently occupies the third floor of Finnegans’ building, known as Finnegans House, and will expand to the second and third floors with a new concept after the brewery shutters. 

The Finnovation Lab will continue to offer space for socially-conscious startups on the building’s fourth floor.

Berglund founded Finnegans in 2000 with the goal of “turning beer into food” for people experiencing food insecurity through the nonprofit Finnegans Community Fund. Finnegans will remain independently owned and operated, continue donating profits, and distributing beer throughout the Upper Midwest.

Finnegans is open Tuesday through Friday from 4-9 p.m. and Saturday from 2-9 p.m. through Aug. 31. Fulton will start selling Finnegans’ beer in early fall and will host Finnegans’ long-running St. Patrick’s Day celebration next March.

“We are honored to be able to produce and soon offer Finnegans at our taproom for fans of both our brands," Fulton CEO Ryan Petz said in a statement. "We see this as a positive evolution for the craft beer scene in Minneapolis.”