Northeast Portland’s Antifascist Cidery Cider Riot Is Closing

Owner Abram Goldman Armstrong says Patriot Prayer has "nothing to do" with the cidery's closure.

Abram Goldman-Armstrong (Justin Tyler Norton)

Portland's antifascist cidery is calling it quits after six years in business.

Cider Riot's owner, Abram Goldman Armstrong, announced yesterday that he was unable to find investors to buy the cidery, Beervana first reported. The cidery will close Nov. 10.

Goldman Armstrong put Cider Riot up for sale on Sept. 18, blaming debt generated from a 2016 expansion. The pub has also become an unofficial gathering place for antifascists who confront right-wing protesters. It sits at the center of a high-profile criminal case after six far-right organizers were indicted for attacking antifascists there on May 1.

In an interview with WW earlier this month, Goldman Armstrong expressed resentment over Cider Riot's classification as "the Antifa pub," but today he says Patriot Prayer has "nothing to do" with the cidery's closure.

"They'll say, 'Oh we forced them out of business with bad Google reviews,'" he says. "But they're wrong. They're the worst humans. They're hateful and useless and hopefully they go to prison for a long time."

Cider Riot is the fifth Portland pub to shutter in the last week—Lagunitas, Lompoc Brewing, Rock Bottom Brewing and Coalition all recently announced closures.

Related: Coalition Brewing Is Shutting Down After a Decade in Business

Goldman Armstrong hopes to keep his ciders alive at another brewery, but it's unclear still if any collaborations will occur.

"We're joining the class of 2019 along with a lot of great brewers," Goldman Armstrong says. "You can have an Oregon Brewers Fest in the sky from all the breweries that have shuttered. It's a pretty sad state of affairs, and I'm sad we weren't able to weather the storm."

There will a closing party at the Northeast Portland pub on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 7 pm.

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