Ballard's brewery district just lost two of its own, and both addresses went dark within weeks of each other.

Wheelie Pop Brewing will shut its doors at 1110 NW 50th St. in mid-June, and Distant West Brewing has already closed at 1406 NW 53rd St.

Distant West owner Greg Macaulay posted a letter to customers on Wednesday, May 27, announcing he had ceased operations effective immediately. He cited personal reasons. Macaulay had closed the taproom in October 2025 and pivoted to wholesale, markets, and pop-ups before deciding to shut down entirely. Distant West opened in February 2024 in the space where Reuben's Brews got its start.

"I want to reinforce my upmost gratitude to the people who have supported my little grassroots brewery," Macaulay wrote. "Every time I walked in and saw people enjoying the beer with the company of friends and family never got old."

The brewery's space and equipment at 1406 NW 53rd St. are available. Interested parties can reach Macaulay at [email protected].

Wheelie Pop, which operated in Ballard for approximately 4.5 years, announced its closure on Tuesday, May 20. The brewery's Mill Creek location remains open.

The brewery will host its last ever trivia night on June 11 at 6:30 p.m. along with final events on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday this week for a final close out hurrah.

"We're proud to have won 12 beer awards since we've opened, created over 150 unique beers, never turned down a charitable donation request, and built an awesome community of beer lovers and race fans!" Wheelie Pop posted on their Instagram.

Some local residents are reacting on social media.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO where are we going to watch F1 now?! Wheelie Pop had the best vibe!," one person on Instagram said.

"Your phish streams brought our community together. Thanks for all the fun times," another Instagram user said.

Others are contemplating the reason for closure.

"Based on what I’ve heard, I believe it’s due to the co-founder and head brewer moving out of state. Not because they weren’t profitable enough," a Reddit user said.

"This really surprises me... I was in Seattle a few months ago, and I remember Wheelie Pop looked insanely busy," another user posted.

The closures arrived alongside a third shakeup: Bale Breaker Brewing acquired Cloudburst Brewing at 5456 Shilshole Ave NW on Monday, May 26. Cloudburst's team stays employed and production continues, but owner Steve Luke described the squeeze facing small breweries in blunt terms, citing rising costs, declining beer demand, and shrinking margins.

Seattle's minimum wage rose to $21.30 per hour on January 1, 2026, up from $20.76 in 2025. Washington does not permit tip credits, meaning tipped taproom workers must receive the full minimum before tips. Statewide, the number of craft breweries fell to 438 in 2025 from 444 in 2024, according to Brewers Association data released in May 2026. Washington's brewery count peaked in 2023.

Ballard Alliance Executive Director Mike Stewart said in January 2026 that rising costs of goods, payroll, insurance premiums, and repairs are squeezing small businesses across the neighborhood. Downtown Ballard drew 5.8 million visitors in 2025, up 32% from pandemic-depressed 2021 levels but still below the 6.6 million recorded in 2019.

The Ballard Brewery District still lists more than a dozen breweries and cideries within a one-mile radius, according to Visit Ballard.