Longtime brewery to close Placerville taproom, restaurant for good Monday night

Jack Russell Farm Brewery will close its downtown Placerville taproom and restaurant for good at 8 p.m. Monday, the Camino-based brewery announced Monday morning.

The 23-year-old brewery in the heart of Apple Hill recently invested in new machinery, including a canning system, and is selling the downtown restaurant and bar at 209 Main St. in Placerville to balance its books, according to a Facebook post.

“Recently, we have upgraded and invested in a state of the art brewhouse and a new, fully automated canning line with the hopes of bringing our products to a location near you within a distribution network,” the post read. “Our scenic farm, brewery, and winery in Camino will continue to remain open year-round for your enjoyment of a tasting flight of one of our (15) beers on tap or to share a pint with us on our spacious, beautiful grounds.”

One of the oldest operating breweries in the Sacramento region, Jack Russell was founded by British native Terry Bonham in 1997 and sold to David Coody in 2011. The downtown Placerville location opened in 2016 and had its own kitchen, unlike the Camino location. Local caterers will now supply pizzas and appetizers year-round at the farm instead of just during Apple Hill’s harvest season, according to the post.

The 11-acre Camino farm grows blueberries, blackberries and apples, plus a half-acre of hops used in select Jack Russell beers. The fruit are also used in Jack Russell’s hard ciders, and Coody, who founded Hangtown Brewing in 1992, makes mead using local tangerines and dark cherries.

This story was originally published February 24, 2020 at 2:20 PM.