- Details
- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Food | Agriculture
The Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians will close Rincon Reservation Road Brewery at the end of October, ending nearly a decade in craft beer for a venture billed as Southern California’s first tribally owned and operated brewery on tribal land.
The Valley Center, Calif. brewery announced the closure on Instagram, citing changes in the craft beer industry. It said it would fulfill final orders and wind down business with clients and partners through month’s end of the month.
“This was not an easy decision. The craft beer industry has changed dramatically, and the challenges facing breweries today are greater than ever,” the brewery wrote.
The tribe opened the business as SR-76 Brewery in November 2016 next to Harrah’s Resort Southern California, according to its website. The name referenced a road that followed a tribal travel route between inland areas and the coast.
The operation relaunched as Rincon Reservation Road Brewery, or 3R Brewery, in January 2020. The Rincon Economic Development Corporation pursued distribution beyond the resort and satellite tasting rooms to expand the brand’s reach.
Its Ocean Beach tasting room closed in May 2023. A planned replacement with a kitchen never opened.
The Instagram announcement did not disclose financial results, employment impacts or plans for the facility.
Rincon Economic Development Corporation Chairwoman Shalome Briggs emphasized that the closure did not define the tribe’s economic future.
“Our strength has never been defined by a single business venture, but by our people, our heritage and our commitment to building a lasting future for our community,” Briggs told San Diego Beer News.
