California craft breweries face closures in San Diego region

Several high-profile craft breweries in California, particularly in the San Diego region, are closing locations or shutting down entirely. Prohibition Brewing Company in Vista is set to close its doors this month, following the recent shuttering of Mission Brewing’s tasting room in East Village and Ballast Point Brewing’s Miramar restaurant last year.

In a significant industry shift, Japanese beer-maker Sapporo is selling Stone Brewing. This transition includes the closure of the brand’s flagship Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Escondido. While some community members express devastation over the loss of these local landmarks, industry experts like Erik Fowler, former executive director of the San Diego Brewers Guild, suggest these closures may represent the natural leveling out of a once-exploding, now mature industry.