After more than a dozen years in Clawson, Black Lotus Brewing Co. will shutter and serve its last beers on Wednesday evening, according to employees.

The brewpub, located in the center of Clawson's downtown strip, is known for a variety of craft beers, including the award-winning barley wine Ninja Pirate. Its menu features soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches and more.

Two employees told the Free Press they learned of the closure on Monday. The Free Press was unsuccessful in attempts to speak with owner Michael Allan.

Bartender Neidra Jackson, who has worked at Black Lotus for four months, said Allan told employees: "I can't keep the doors open."

Another employee who only spoke to Free Press on the condition their name not be used, said the staff was told on Monday that there wasn't enough revenue coming in to keep the business alive.

When the brewery opened at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nicholas Joseph, Black Lotus's head brewer, would not comment on its pending closure. There was one customer at the bar who heard Black Lotus would be closing, so he came in to enjoy a Ninja Pirate, a 13.2% alcohol-by-volume beer that earned a gold medal in the prestigious 2016 World Beer Cup.

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There has been speculation for months about the future of Black Lotus.

A post on its Facebook page in late August indicated that “an award-winning brewpub” was for sale with the price reduced to $450,000. But the post did not say the venue in question was Black Lotus.

In mid-September, Eater Detroit reported that the bar "appears to be up for sale," citing unnamed sources.

The brewery, located on 14 Mile Road at the corner of Main Street, was founded in 2006 by Mark Harper, Michael Allan and his wife Jodi Allan (Mark’s sister). The breweries motto is “Think Global, Drink Local.“

The employees who spoke to the Free Press said Mark Harper left the business in May.

A call to Oakland County Register of Deeds revealed that Black Lotus has two state liens for back taxes. One is for a little more than $13,000 and the second is for $23,000.

Black Lotus will be the third well-known Oakland County craft alcohol business to close in recent months. Cellarmen's in Hazel Park, which specialized in meads and ciders, shuttered in July. Axle Brewing Co. in Ferndale closed in June, though it was recently revealed that Eastern Market Brewing Co. will take over the taproom on Livernois.

Contact food writer Susan Selasky at 313-222-6872 or sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.