An award-winning NC brewery is closing after more than 20 years
A craft brewery based in eastern North Carolina has closed after more than 20 years.
The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, based in Farmville, opened for its last weekend Saturday, April 26.
“I know that this is the right decision, but I still can’t help but know that I’ll miss you and everything Duck-Rabbit,” founder Paul Philippon wrote in a social media post announcing the closure. “Thanks for your support and your friendship and for letting me do my thing here for so long!”
Triangle Business Journal reported that the brewery has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Duck-Rabbit beer
Since it was founded in 2004, Duck-Rabbit has brought home multiple awards from several competitions.
- In 2022, the brewery won gold medals for its Baltic Porter; Oh No, Let’s Go! cacao milk stout; milk stout; and silver for its Boy Howdy cherry milk stout and Rabid Duck imperial stout at the Carolinas Championship of Beer.
- Duck-Rabbit enjoyed success at the Great American Beer Festival, having brought home bronze, silver and gold medals for various brews starting in 2006. Most recently, the brewery won silver for its Duck-Rabbit Duck-Rabbator in the German-style doppelbock or eisbock category.
The Farmville brewery produced several beers year-round, including its milk stout — which it was famous for — along with its amber ale, brown ale, Ludwig Vienna lager and First Principles American imperial stout, according to its website.
NC breweries closing
North Carolina is home to national beer makers and micro-breweries alike, but recently, some of these companies have struggled. For example, one week after closing its Raleigh taproom in 2024, New Anthem announced it was shutting down all of its Wilmington locations.
