WILLOUGHBY, Ohio - Willoughby Brewing Co. appears closed.

An Ohio tax notice posted on the brewery states that Willoughby Brewing Co.'s vendor's license "is under suspension" and the business is "prohibited from making retail sales" on site on or after Jan. 8.

Whether the closure is temporary or permanent is not clear. Calls to the brewery went unanswered Thursday.

A vendor's license can be suspended if an entity fails to file sales-tax returns. A license can be reinstated by filing returns and remitting what is owed, along with possible penalties.

As of Thursday afternoon, Willoughby's Facebook page was not working. Its website is active, touting - among other things - Baenum's Law, an American Pale Ale; Cleveland Tar Pit, an Imperial Stout made in collaboration with Double Wing and Masthead breweries, happy-hour deals and other specials. But a section for beer takes viewers to Untapped, a beer-review site.

The brewery made a name for itself with Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter, a cult favorite among craft-beer drinkers.

Located at 4057 Erie St., the brewery-restaurant sits on the southeast corner of Mentor Avenue and Erie Street. It opened in 1998 and employed a string of quality brewers over the years. The most recent brewer was Nick Law. The brewery was an early proponent for crowlers, the 32-ounce cans that can be filled with beer on site.

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