Meet Your Neighbor: Bent Barley Brewing
Step into the heart of Aurora’s craft beer community, where craftsmanship meets creativity. Explore Aurora’s brewing spirit with Bent Barley Brewing, an Aurora cornerstone for beer enthusiasts near and far.
Meet Mark Job and Paul Dampier | Bent Barley Brewing Co.
What was the inspiration behind Bent Barley?
Paul and Mark worked together in the technology sector for a few years and were home brewers. They decided to look into opening a brewery together starting in 2014. Finding the right location took a few years, but in 2018, Bent Barley was finally opened. Paul and Mark are both beer lovers. Although their individual style favorites aren't the same, they both primarily enjoy "Beer-Flavored Beer."
What do you love about operating in Aurora?
The local Aurora community embraced having another brewery close by. Our regular customers and our staff have provided many new friendships. We've hosted baby showers, wedding receptions, first beers on 21st birthdays, and countless meetups after work. Building friendships with the other Aurora breweries's owners, brewers, and staff reminds us how tight-knit our industry can be.
What are some of your offerings that you're particularly proud of and recipes that you find particularly unique?
Our flagship beers each have a fan base, including us. Returning season offerings also create a lot of excitement. It is rewarding to have people say, "It's hard to find a Black IPA or a Rye beer anywhere. Thanks for making it."
Bent Barley has won lots of awards. Are there any that you’re particularly proud of?
Two of our recent awards stand out because we earned them in two of the largest and most prestigious competitions: our Great American Beer Festival silver medal for our Green Chile Honey Kölsch and our World Beer Cup gold award for our Dry Irish Stout.
What are you most proud of as a business owner?
That's tough for many reasons: Hearing a customer rave about the customer service, the beer, or both, and the friendships we've made because of the brewery.
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