To the dozen regular customers sipping the final ales and lagers at Prohibition Brewing Company in Vista on a recent Friday night, it not only marks the end of an era, but also raises questions about the future of craft beer.
“There’s a sense of loss. It’s like when ‘Cheers’ closed in the last episode,” said Vista resident Greg Johnson, in a nod to the 1980s sitcom about a neighborhood bar, “where everybody knows your name.” Prohibition will shut its doors this month after the last kegs are drained, making it one of several high-profile brewery closures in San Diego, a region that pioneered the craft brew industry.
Japanese beer-maker Sapporo is selling Stone Brewing, which it acquired in 2022. To the dismay of North County beer lovers, it’s closing the brand’s flagship site in Escondido, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens, with its sprawling complex of terraces and gardens.
“That place was so unique,” one Stone fan wrote on Facebook. “A place to take out of town guests. A place of Escondido pride.” “We are devastated by losing this part of our community,” another wrote.
In August, the 19-year-old Mission Brewing in East Village shuttered its tasting room at the historic, brick Wonder Bread building near Petco Park. At the end of last year Ballast Point Brewing closed its 600-seat bar and restaurant in San Diego’s Miramar district.