The Abridged version:
- The Davis Beer Shoppe is closing Wednesday after 15 years in Downtown Davis.
- Owned by Taylor Ramos, it was an early destination for craft beer aficionados in the Sacramento region.
- The Beer Shoppe was known for its bottle shop with hundreds of options as well as its 23-tap bar pouring local and far-off beers.
The Davis Beer Shoppe will close Wednesday, ending a 15-year run that helped catalyze the craft beer scene of not just the college town but the Sacramento region at large.
Owner Taylor Ramos announced the impending closure in a Facebook post Monday afternoon.
“I cannot express enough how thankful I am for the community we’ve been able to foster at the store,” Ramos’ post read. “Fifteen years of personal relationships, inherited knowledge, shared experiences, laughter and love. I will always fondly remember my tenure in Davis.”
Ramos founded the Beer Shoppe in March 2011, when the Sacramento region’s decade-long wave of craft brewery openings had barely begun to crescendo. Trendsetters such as Track 7, Device and Bike Dog were not yet on the scene, and other stalwarts like Moonraker and Moksa were at least a half-decade away. Davis had its pioneer Sudwerk, but Dunloe, Super Owl and Three Mile were far-off as well.
In that nascent scene, the Beer Shoppe stood out for its early dedication to a range of quality brews — some produced in Northern California, others imported from overseas. It eventually poured beer from 23 taps, and a particularly well-regarded adjoined bottle shop offered hundreds of take-home options as well. While it didn’t serve food beyond popcorn and bags of chips, drinkers regularly brought takeout from surrounding Downtown Davis restaurants.
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Recently, though, the Beer Shoppe had run into a spate of issues at 211 G St. It closed for a week in April after an inspection found it had been operating without a valid liquor license since January, the Substack page Comings & Goings reported at the time.
The business was cash-only and had a considerably reduced selection as of late, Comings & Goings also reported Monday. Nationwide, the craft beer industry is contracting after the boom of the 2010s, the result of increased competition, price increases and younger customers drinking less.
Ramos confirmed the Beer Shoppe would be cash-only until closure in his Facebook post, though gift cards would continue to be honored. People could also donate to walk away with a piece of the business, he wrote.
“Finally, we are having an impromptu DBS estate sale. If you see anything around the store you’d like to take home as a souvenir, you can donate whatever you like. Anything, really, steins, glassware, decor, bar stools, keg shells, shelving, et cetera,” he wrote.
