Quality Analyst

JuneShine, a San Diego-based hard kombucha and canned cocktail brand founded in 2018, is closing its final two tasting rooms on 28 August. The locations in Scripps Ranch and Santa Monica mark the end of the company's brick-and-mortar operations. The closures follow previous retrenchments. JuneShine shut its Brooklyn taproom in 2024 and ceased in-house brewing in March 2026, closing its brewery and cutting 24 jobs. The company had invested $24 million in 2019 to acquire and convert a former Ballast Point facility. JuneShine's products will remain available online and through retailers including Walmart, Target, Whole Foods Market, and Total Wine & More. The company emphasised it is not exiting the market entirely, only shifting away from physical locations.

'Honest alcohol' company JuneShine closes last physical locations. By Fernanda Tronco TheStreet Updated August 12, 2026 6:20 AM Gift Article A once-fast-growing beverage brand is making a major retreat from the physical spaces that helped build its identity and exiting an entire part of its business. After years of expansion, the company is closing its final brick-and-mortar locations and has already shut down the facility where it once produced its beverages. The moves mark a significant shift for a brand that built its reputation on an in-house manufacturing approach and a growing physical presence. Founded in 2018 in San Diego, California, JuneShine started as a homemade hard kombucha brand before expanding into canned cocktails. JuneShine is closing its last tasting rooms. JuneShine built its brand on the concept of "honest alcohol for a healthier planet," targeting health-conscious consumers by offering clean, environmentally sustainable ingredients. The company will close its two final company-owned tasting rooms on Aug. 28, ending the company's brick-and-mortar operations. The affected locations include: * JuneShine Scripps Ranch: 10051 Old Grove Road, San Diego, California * JuneShineSanta Monica: 2914 Main Street, Santa Monica, California "This was certainly not a decision that came easy, but the right one for what's next," JuneShine wrote in an Instagram post. The company has not shared plans to open another physical location. However, JuneShine said its products will remain available online and through retailers, including Walmart, Target, Whole Foods Market, and Total Wine & More, according to its website. "Rest assured, JuneShine isn't going anywhere. You will still find us on shelves, at your favorite watering holes, and out in the real world," the company added. The closures, therefore, mark a change in how JuneShine operates, rather than an end to the brand itself. JuneShine has already reduced its physical footprint. The decision to close the final tasting rooms follows several changes to JuneShine's operations over the past several years. In 2019, JuneShine acquired the former 30,000-square-foot Ballast Point brewery in Scripps Ranch, turning it into a flagship brewery and taproom. The company invested $24 million in the project. In 2020, JuneShine confirmed plans to relocate its San Diego tasting room to a new 2,000-square-foot space in North Park at The Jackson on 30th Street. The tasting room ultimately did not open. Two years later, JuneShine expanded beyond California by opening a taproom in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood. That location closed in 2024. The company's manufacturing footprint then underwent a more significant change in March 2026, when JuneShine ceased in-house brewing, shut down its brewery, listed the facility for sale, and eliminated 24 jobs. The move shifted production to third-party manufacturers as JuneShine sought to improve efficiency and profitability and focus more heavily on product development and brand expansion, SanDiegoVille reported. Now, with its final two tasting rooms scheduled to close, JuneShine will no longer operate company-owned physical locations. Why JuneShine is moving away from physical locations. JuneShine has not publicly provided a detailed explanation for why it is closing its final tasting rooms. However, the move comes after a broader restructuring of its physical operations. The company has already moved away from owning and operating its own brewery, instead relying on third-party manufacturers to produce its beverages. Closing its tasting rooms could further reduce the fixed costs and operational responsibilities associated with maintaining physical facilities. For smaller beverage companies, owning production facilities can require significant investments in equipment, labor, maintenance, and real estate. Outsourcing some or all production can allow a business to shift those responsibilities to specialized manufacturers, although the financial impact can vary depending on a company's scale and manufacturing arrangements. Operating a taproom or brewery can also come with significant real estate and build-out costs. Specialized equipment and building requirements can add to the expense of opening and operating these businesses, according to Wooden Hill Brewing Company. JuneShine's recent moves suggest the company is placing greater emphasis on its beverage products and retail distribution rather than maintaining company-owned facilities. That shift could give JuneShine greater flexibility to concentrate its resources on product development, distribution, and brand expansion while relying on outside partners for manufacturing and retail distribution. For consumers, however, the change means JuneShine's remaining tasting rooms will soon disappear. The brand itself will continue through its online store, retail partners, and other locations where its beverages are sold. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc. This story was originally published August 12, 2026 at 6:07 AM.