Aurora brewery to close taproom after 20 years, with plans to open a new space

Kevin DeLange and Michelle Reding celebrated the th anniversary of Dry Dock Brewing Co last weekend at the Aurora taproom where they laid roots as one of the pioneers of Colorado s craft beer scene Unbeknownst to fans the party was as much as a toast to the past as it was to future changes In January Dry Dock will close its long-standing taproom at E Hampden Ave as it prepares to open a new brewpub elsewhere in the Denver metro area the brewery disclosed Thursday Additionally DeLange and Reding are seeking a buyer for the attached homebrew supply shop the Brew Hut which has operated for years The announcement comes as Dry Dock continues to integrate its business with Longmont s Left Hand Brewing Co The two craft beer stalwarts merged in April in a deal that has since introduced Dry Dock s products into new U S states Mexico and the Netherlands DeLange declared Relocating will allow Dry Dock which presently holds a beer manufacturer license to operate under Left Hand s brewpub license The new location expected to open in spring will serve food and all that jazz similar to Left Hand s newest spot in Denver DeLange reported The company is at this moment searching for real estate and will likely land south of downtown Denver Reding disclosed We love this location and what we ve built here but at the same time there s a lot of positive power going into the future Reding added Still the move marks the end of an era Dry Dock opened in in what was then a -square-foot space and it was among the first to add a tasting room where drinkers could seek out and try house-made beers providing a blueprint for innumerable businesses thereafter Over the two decades DeLange and Reding expanded the brewery and they expect it will remain one In fact they are at this time in talks to have a new startup beer maker take it over at the beginning of next year though they declined to say exactly who is behind it It s certainly bittersweet DeLange commented We started here years ago in this strip mall in Aurora so passing it on to someone else and having it be their brewery it s exciting but bittersweet Related Articles Following last year s closure er Brewing to move from Denver s RiNo to Chaffee County Former head brewer seeks over k in lawsuit against beer-and-bowling concept Live Slow Brewing A pickle-and-beer festival a massive drone show and more things to do around Denver Colorado sober movement ditches alcohol for cannabis psychedelics Is it for real Colorado beer dominates GABF awards with medals three brewery of the year accolades Dry Dock of unit was not DeLange and Reding s first venture in that strip mall The duo purchased The Brew Hut from its original owner in before opening the attached brewery three years later They hope to find a passionate entrepreneur to take it over so it can continue being a hub for local homebrewers It can be very rewarding Reding explained recalling new homebrewers sharing their successes as they continually honed their hobby The homebrewing society is just a great close-knit region It s like no other DeLange and Reding who remain shareholders in Left Hand Brewing expect there will be a gap between Dry Dock s taproom closure and the new brewpub s opening But they are assuring customers that the brewery s beer will still be widely available at retail stores in Colorado Subscribe to our new food newsletter Stuffed to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox