Beloved Downtown Beer Bar Bailey’s Taproom Has Closed Its Doors Indefinitely

No one really needed further proof that 2020 is utter garbage, but the hits just keep on coming, as Bailey's Taproom, the beloved downtown beer bar, has closed due to a loss of revenue amid the pandemic.

There is hope the closure will not be permanent and that Bailey's can resume operations sometime next year.

Brewpublic first reported that the 13-year-old business had shut its doors indefinitely, including the upstairs space known as the Upper Lip, which had become a popular venue for standup comedy just prior to the global health crisis.

"2020 has been a rough year for all of us," Nick Rivers, Bailey's communications representative, tells WW. "With the pandemic pulling away tourists and beloved regular patrons, along with the changed state of the neighborhood we're located in, we've made the tough decision to close our doors indefinitely. Our hope is that 2021 will bring back an environment for us to get craft beer back into the glasses of the community."

When Bailey's opened in 2007, the concept was still somewhat novel in Portland. The bar eventually became known for its stellar lineup of rotating taps, and was sought out by both tourists and local beer lovers. It also served as a host for popular events, like the New Oregon Breweries Showcase during Portland Beer Week and Brewpublic's annual KillerBeerFest.

Once COVID-19 mandated closures across Oregon in March, Bailey's pivoted to beer delivery in the Portland metro area before eventually reopening to customers onsite when Multnomah County entered Phase 1. But with downtown's lack of office workers and without visitors from out of state, business never returned to a sustainable level

Beer delivery will continue through the end of September.

Here's hoping Bailey's will reemerge in 2021 and give us something to toast again.