JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Intuition Ale Works, a Jacksonville staple for locally-brewed beer, will be closing its doors for good in April when its lease expires.
Action News Jax told you in April 2025 that owner Ben Davis was looking to find a buyer for the brewery.
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“The right buyer never came,” Davis said in a lengthy message posted Wednesday on the brewery’s social media pages.
Davis said in part that he hoped that in relocating from Riverside to Downtown “that transformative downtown development would follow. It never did.”
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“Renderings and potential do not pay the bills,” Davis wrote.
He also said that “the craft beer industry has changed dramatically since COVID. Costs are higher, margins are thinner, and competition is relentless.”
The brewery’s last day will be April 24.
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Here is the full message from Davis:
“Fifteen years have flown by.
“It feels like yesterday that we were rolling tanks into the old King Street brewery, signing up Mug Club members, and talking about canning beer “someday.”
“I didn’t open Intuition to chase trends. I opened it to add something real to Jacksonville’s emerging craft beer scene. A place where friends, families, and people from every walk of life could come together over beer made in my hometown.
“Last April, I announced that we were exploring the sale of Intuition. For nine months, I examined every realistic path forward, hoping the right buyer would emerge with the resources and conviction to carry the brand into its next chapter.
“The right buyer never came.
“The craft beer industry has changed dramatically since COVID. Costs are higher, margins are thinner, and competition is relentless. For small, independent breweries, the room for error is smaller than it has ever been.
“After exhausting every option, I’ve made the hard — but clear — decision to permanently close Intuition when our lease expires at the end of April. Our final day will be April 24, fittingly closing with our last Bier Hall show, Yonder Mountain String Band. I asked for Slayer. They were booked.
“The taproom, kitchen, and Bier Hall will remain fully open and operating as usual through April 24, and all previously scheduled private events will move forward as planned.
“When we opened our Bay Street location in September 2016, moving downtown was a deliberate choice. I believed in the long-term potential of Downtown Jacksonville, and I was confident that Intuition could play a role in helping shape what it might become.
“I don’t regret the move. It was ambitious, and it was my call. But that ambition was rooted in the hope that transformative downtown development would follow. It never did. Renderings and potential do not pay the bills. Ultimately, the financial burden placed on Intuition made long-term sustainability impossible.
“Through it all, our staff never wavered. They built the brewery, shaped the culture, and carried Intuition through its hardest years. A core group stayed until the very end. I will always be proud of them, and any company would be lucky to have our ‘Island of Misfit Toys.’
“We also owe deep thanks to Champion Brands, who took a chance on a small, local brewery and stood by us for fifteen years. Their belief in our beer and their partnership helped put Intuition beer into the hands of a lot of people.
“Just as importantly, we are deeply grateful to every restaurant, bar, store, and venue that chose to sell our beer. Your support is what kept us going, and it will not be forgotten.
“And most importantly, Intuition didn’t last fifteen years because of luck. It lasted because this community showed up, again and again. You drank our beer, packed our shows, and shared your lives with us. Your support mattered more than you will ever know.
“If you want to support us in these final months, here’s how:
- Come drink beer in our taproom.
- Come see a show in the Bier Hall.
- Support the bars, restaurants, and stores that still carry our beer."
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