Courtesy of Left Hand Collective
Audio By Carbonatix
They say when one door closes, another opens. That’s certainly held true for residents of the Washington Park neighborhood, who have waited since last August for a new tenant to take over the space left vacant by the beloved dive bar Pub on Pearl.
It’s also true for fans of Dry Dock Brewing, who lost the company’s Aurora taproom in January following an April merger with Left Hand Brewery. At the time, co-founder Michelle Reding promised to find a new location for Dry Dock and open there in the first half of 2026.
She kept that promise, as today both those closed doors share a common opening with the Dry Dock Pub, the brewery’s new taproom that’s taken over the Pub on Pearl space at 1101 S. Pearl St.
“While leaving Aurora wasn’t our initial plan, finding the right home to continue the Dry Dock story was essential,” says Dry Dock’s other co-founder, Kevin DeLange, in a statement announcing the opening. “Having a physical location allows us to stay connected to our community even as we grow our presence nationwide.”
Antony Bruno
While the space still retains the Pub on Pearl branding — including the stenciled glass front door and signage over the windows — the new pub represents a significant evolution for the Dry Dock experience. In Aurora, it operated a taproom that only served beer. Aside from some free popcorn, there were no real food options, other than ordering delivery from nearby restaurants. The Wash Park spot, meanwhile, offers a full menu of standard pub fare like burgers and fish and chips, along with more “modern,” health-conscious options like quinoa bowls and avocado toast.
For entertainment, the pub plans to offer live music in an events corner of the building, as well as a dedicated game area with pool, darts, pinball and video games.
And of course, there’s the beer: The bar showcases not only all Dry Dock-produced lines but also other options that “celebrate both legacy and local flavor,” such as Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro and Bootstrap Brewing’s Insane Rush IPA. Also new are a range of wines, spirits and cocktails.
Dry Dock Brewing has been one of the Denver area’s standout craft brewers since it was established in 2005, winning eight World Beer Cup awards and 26 Great American Beer Festival medals; in 2009, it won GABF Small Brewery of the Year honors. Last year, when the brewer merged with Left Hand Brewing, all beer-making operations moved to Left Hand’s Longmont facility, setting the stage for the Aurora taproom’s closure.
“On behalf of the Left Hand Collective, we’re honored to carry forward the Dry Dock legacy, building on its foundation as we begin this next chapter,” says Eric Wallace, founder of Left Hand Collective in a statement on the move.
While plans to take over the Pub on Pearl space were announced months ago, pulling up stakes and relocating to a new home after 20 years in Aurora was still a landscape-changing move in more ways than one. Dry Dock’s spiritual sister company and neighbor, Brew Hut, a 30-year-old homebrewing store that DeLange took over in 2002 prior to founding the brewery, had to close.
Dry Dock Pub is located at 1101 S. Pearl St. and is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday through Saturday. For more information, visit drydockbrewing.com.
