MADISON – Madison’s first brewery announced Thursday they are going to be closing by the end of the month.

Almost ten years ago, Michael and Allison Spratley took what had previously been a hobby and embarked on a journey that would bring their passion to many others as Blue Pants Brewery.

“Due to recent events and negotiations, we are no longer able to continue doing business at our current location,” the Spratleys stated in a post on the Blue Pants Facebook page. “After much thought, we have decided to view this as an opportunity to pursue other ventures.

“This is the end of an era for our business and our family, and we are sad to see it come. However, we are excited for what the future holds and the opportunity this gives us to explore new ideas and new passions,” they said.

The Spratleys started their business in Feb. 2010 with a small, 400-square-foot building that Michael dubbed, “Alabama’s smallest brewery”.

In 2011, Blue Pants relocated to a 10,000-square-foot converted cotton warehouse on Lanier Drive behind Wal-Mart. The Spratleys added a 15-barrel brew house, two 30-barrel fermenters, and a 30-barrel brite tank. Many of their creations have been sold across three states.

Blue Pants was the first Alabama brewery to become an in-house distillery as well.

It didn’t take long for Blue Pants to gain a fan following, and many events and fundraisers were held over the years at the brewery’s tap room.

“Our gratitude for your support over the years cannot simply be put into words,” the Spratleys said. “Please know that Blue Pants Brewery would not have been a success for these nine plus years without the love and support of all of you – our loyal fans. We are forever grateful for our amazing staff that we had the opportunity to work with over the years and hope that their experience at Blue Pants furthered their passion for craft beer and increased their drive to continue on in this creative industry.”

While the brewery and taproom is closing, some of the various creations under the Blue Pants label may be around for a while on store shelves.

“We have been lucky enough to develop several Blue Pants brands over the years that our loyal followers love, and we will be pursuing the opportunity to keep them on the shelves for awhile longer by brewing those beers under contract with some of the other amazing Alabama breweries,” they said.

The Blue Pants taproom will be open until Friday, Aug. 23, when they will host one last celebration with unreasonably good beer, cocktails, live music, and food. “We hope you can join us,” said the Spratleys. “Please stop by to see us before then if you can.”