Aurora Dry Dock Location Acquired By New German-Inspired Brewery

In October, Dry Dock Brewing announced plans to close its longtime Aurora location at 15120 East Hampden Avenue in January as it searches for a new home base following its April merger with Longmont-based Left Hand Brewing. But the space won’t be empty for long.

Industry veterans Janelle and Ty Nash are bringing a new German-inspired brewery, ZoiglBräu, to the location as soon as late February. “If we’re going to fail, it’s because of me,” says Ty.

The couple has extensive industry experience, and met while working at Rockyard Brewing in Castle Rock. Combined, they have over 24 years of experience in the beer industry. Janelle was most recently the front of house manager at Coal Mine Brewing and helped open Dead Hippy Brewing, while Ty was the head brewer at Little Dry Creek Brewing in Greenwood Village. That brewery shuttered in late 2024, after the food hall it was in became a casualty of the ongoing turmoil surrounding parent company RCI Hospitality – known for being the largest publicly traded adult nightclub operator. RCI had purchased the food hall from Troy Guard in 2022. Now, the Nashes will control their own destiny.

Ty says it’s been his dream to open his own brewery for many years, but the couple started getting serious in April. After Little Dry Creek closed, Ty felt like the job market for a brewer was tight, and he might even have to consider going out of state to continue doing what he loves. “I might as well jump into it with both feet,” he recalls thinking.

He has won numerous awards for his beers, including three North American Brewers Association awards, three World Beer Cup awards and two Great American Beer Festival awards — all for German-style beers. The awards span his brewing careers at C.B. & Potts and Little Dry Creek. His Broken Arrow Altbier was a Westword top beer in 2022.

ZoiglBräu’s name comes from the German Zoigl beer culture — it’s the traditional practice of making beer in community breweries in the small villages of the Oberpfalz region. “Years ago, I was researching German beer styles, and I came across Zoigl,” says Ty. “The whole idea of community brewing, it just kind of morphed from there.”

The tap list will be German inspired, with the early lineup featuring a Pilsner, Hefeweizen and Altbier. Ty says there will be one to two West Coast-style IPAs, as well as a hazy IPA, along with a rotating dark beer. While many beers will be German-style, there will be a wide variety of brews available. Eventually, 12 to 16 taps of house-made beer will be pouring, with one line dedicated to serving beer on nitrogen.

Janelle says that they won’t fully remodel the brewery. “We plan to just freshen up the space a bit,” she notes. Her hospitality experience will be front and center – she’ll handle hiring and the front of house management, while Ty will run the back of house operations. Current Dry Dock lead brewer Sam Winslow will stay on to help make the transition on the brewhouse as smooth as possible.

In a competitive craft beer landscape, the two believe that a higher level of beer and service will help them shine. “I think sticking to quality beer and excellent service will allow us to get started and put ourselves on the board,” says Ty, adding that he looks up to several brewers in the area, notably Ashleigh Carter and Bill Eye of Bierstadt Lagerhaus, Kevin DeLange of Dry Dock Brewing, Kirk Lombardi at Zwei Brewing and Lone Tree Brewing’s John Winter. “These are the people who inspired me and helped me along this path. They’ve always had this kind of never give up type of attitude, and that’s where I’m at.”

Ty also sees some optimism in the wider craft beer market. “I see the industry turning for the better, probably by the end of 2026,” he says.

The Nashes are in it for the long haul, signing a six year lease with a four year option, giving them plenty of time to build a loyal following. Regular food trucks, along with non-alcoholic beer and seltzers will help round out the space.

Both Janelle and Ty understand that to win over the regulars that have frequented Dry Dock for two decades, they’ll need to focus on being a welcoming place. “Janelle is the first person people are going to see when they walk in, even before they can try the beer,” says Ty. “I’m excited, because that’s where she shines.”

For her part, Janelle says that the brewery will be one for everybody. “We want you here, we want to treat you well and we want to hear your stories,” she concludes. “It’s not just about drinking beer.”