Hoops Brewing Teases New Chapter Weeks After Duluth Canal Park Closure

Three weeks after the final toast at Hoops Brewing's Canal Park taproom, the Duluth craft beer brand broke its social media silence with four words that set the Twin Ports beer community buzzing: "The next chapter of Hoops coming soon."

The post appeared on Sunday, March 15, roughly three weeks after owner Dave Hoops served the last pours at his Canal Park brewpub on February 23, 2026. The brewery's accounts had gone quiet almost immediately after that final night, making the cryptic tease feel all the more pointed to fans who had assumed the story was over.

It very nearly looked that way on closing night. The taproom was packed with people who, as 103.7 The Loon described it, "loved the community that had developed around Dave Hoops, the venue he had created, and the beer he and his team had made over the years." There was a final toast, described by The Loon as "understandably emotional," and for a moment it felt conclusive: "At the end of the evening, that seemed like it. The end of the Hoops Brewing era. Except, maybe it isn't."

Hoops Brewing opened in Canal Park in 2017 and built its reputation on German-inspired lagers and ales alongside what FOX21 called "deep community roots," earning recognition as one of Duluth's premier brewers. Dave Hoops had announced the closure in a video posted to Facebook in January, giving regulars about a month to prepare for February 23, the date he had run for about a decade to wind down.

At closing, Hoops left the door slightly open on the beer itself. "The beer won't disappear completely," he told FOX21, noting that some of the pale would remain available at bars and restaurants around town. His parting words to the same outlet captured the tone of the night: "I really appreciate the out point of support since we've announced, and more importantly, the last 10 years of everybody coming in here and really allowing us to do what we love. So it's been a really nice run."

The March 15 post reignited speculation in the comments. Fans offered two main theories: new owners stepping into the Canal Park space, or Dave Hoops relaunching the brand at a different location. The Loon's reporter leaned toward the latter, writing that "what made Hoops Brewing what it was is largely Dave Hoops and his take on brewing," and personally doubting that new ownership of the same Canal Park address would be what the tease was pointing toward.

What that next chapter actually looks like, whether a relocated taproom, a distribution-focused brand, or something else entirely, remains unannounced. The post has not been followed by further details as of this writing.