Mac and Jack’s Brewing relocating to Bremerton by end of year

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, October 28, 2025

One of Washington’s most well-known craft breweries, Mac & Jack’s Brewing Company, is relocating its brewing operations from Redmond to Bremerton by the end of the year. The move, announced Oct. 14, comes as Sound Transit’s expansion and rezoning around the Redmond site will soon affect the brewery’s longtime home.

Mac & Jack’s, founded in 1993 by friends Mac Rankin and Jack Schropp, will share a production facility with Silver City Brewery, another mainstay of Washington’s craft beer scene since 1996. Both breweries are part of the Ackley Brands family, a Seattle-based company that operates several beverage brands across the Pacific Northwest.

“It was something that we have been aware of for a while,” said Nick Mallory, marketing vice president of Ackley Brands. “There were a couple of different factors at play. Number one was Sound Transit’s move to rezone the area that Mac and Jack’s brewery is currently located in, in Redmond.”

Mallory said Ackley Brands’ acquisition of Silver City Brewery made this the right time for the move.

“Coming up on the end of the year, we had acquired Silver City. They had some extra capacity at the brewery,” he said. “So really, it was kind of this, okay, we know we’ve got a move coming up, but this is sort of the best time to do it. “

Per the company’s press release, relocating its brewing operations to Silver City Brewery’s facility “ensures local continuity, quality, and reach of Mac & Jack’s beers for decades to come.” The transition began Oct. 15 and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The move allows Mac & Jack’s to continue production without interruption, Mallory said, as brewers from both teams collaborate to preserve the brand’s hallmark flavors — particularly its flagship African Amber.

“It’s more of a process than you would think,” Mallory said. “Imagine if you made really good chocolate chip cookies out of your oven, but then you bought an oven that was twice the size. You’d still have to do a couple of runs of making those cookies to make sure that you made them the same way. That’s kind of what the brewers have been working on for the last couple of months.”

Mallory said a handful of employees will relocate to the new Bremerton facility, while others are pursuing different opportunities.

“It just kind of came down to what worked. If people wanted to seek other opportunities elsewhere, we wanted to help them out as much as we could with that job search.”

Ackley Brands emphasized in its release that “supporting employees through this transition remains a top priority.” The Mac & Jack’s taproom in Redmond will remain open to customers during the move, and closure updates will be shared on the brewery’s Instagram, @macandjacksbrewingco.

Mallory said customers can expect the same experience and leadership once the move is complete.

“The same general manager, Seth McHone, who’s been the general manager here at Mac and Jack’s in Redmond, is still going to be involved,” he said. “People who were with the brand are still going to continue to be involved with the brand.”

McHone said in the press release that the move is designed to preserve what makes the brand special.

“Mac & Jack’s has always stood for brewing authentic, relatable beers that stand the test of time,” McHone said. “By moving production to Silver City’s facility, we’re setting the stage for the next 30 years of Mac & Jack’s while honoring everything the brand has meant to the Washington craft beer scene. Fans across the state can look forward to enjoying the same Mac & Jack’s beers they know and love, brewed with the same care, and at a scale that allows us to share it more widely.”

Mallory added that longtime customers will notice no change in the product or experience.

“If you’re a customer going into your favorite bar and having Amber on tap, or if you’re walking into a grocery store and getting Amber off the shelf, it’s going to be the same experience that you’ve been having for 30-plus years,” he said.