On the closure and reincarnation of Kuracali

It may be temporarily, but San Diego has lost another craft brewery, and with it the county's first craft sake brewery.

With identical posts to its social media accounts on the afternoon of December 23rd, Kuracali Saké and Beer Brewery announced that day would be its last doing business at its original San Marcos location (175 Bosstick Boulevard #104, San Marcos).

Posted along with a photograph of Kuracali founder and brewer Chuck Perkins, the messages read: "We're closing our Bosstick Blvd location after today. Come in and drink up or take away the rest of our sake! Watch this feed for news of a future reincarnation of the Kuracali saké and beer brewery."

Since early 2015, Perkins has brewed both beverages in adjacent business-park suites, producing and selling beer on one side, sake on the other. A two-sided bar separated the two suites, though ABC rules prohibited either beverage from being consumed in both. Consequently, to switch from drinking sake to beer, customers had to cross from one side of the joint tasting room to the other.

Perkins did not immediately respond to requests for comment about what prompted the closing, nor what the social media posts teased as a possible, "future reincarnation" of the business. However, in a Facebook comments thread, a fan suggested Kuracali should return in a "bigger and better location."

Kuracali's response was ambiguous, yet optimistic: "That is our hope! A couple of things have to come together to make that happen, but we're working on them."