After Nearly a Decade, Duluth’s Hoops Brewing Closes Following Final Pour

Dave Hoops poured the final beer at Hoops Brewing’s Canal Park taproom on Feb 24, 2026, closing the doors after a well-attended "final pour" that drew customers, friends and former staff to celebrate the end of an era in Duluth. The founder and longtime brewer, Dave Hoops, staged the event as the taproom wound down operations after nearly 10 years in the neighborhood.

Hoops Brewing began serving Canal Park patrons almost a decade ago and became a regular stop for visitors and locals alike; the brewery's closure ends nearly 10 years of operations in Duluth. The Feb 24 gathering filled the taproom with familiar faces from past shifts and the neighborhood crowd, turning the final session into a community send-off rather than a quietly shuttered door.

Staff movement anchored the night: former employees returned to serve, trade stories and help pour the last flights, and longtime customers circulated through the room. The event reinforced the human side of the closure, this was not just a business shutdown but the end of a taproom where brewers, servers and regulars built routines over seasons of pours.

As of Feb 26, 2026, the Canal Park taproom is closed to the public following that final service on Feb 24. The closure leaves a visible gap in the Canal Park stretch that hosts year-round foot traffic and tourist visits; Hoops Brewing's absence will be noticed by patrons who booked holiday gatherings, watch parties and beer runs there in past seasons.

For Duluth's brewing scene, the end of Hoops Brewing highlights how small taprooms change over time as founders move on and neighborhoods evolve. Dave Hoops' name will remain tied to the Canal Park address where he brewed and served for nearly a decade, and the Feb 24 "final pour" provided a concrete moment for friends, staff and customers to mark that chapter closed.