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Crooked Run gets Virginia ABC licenses for Del Ray taproom at 2003 Mount Vernon Avenue

Crooked Run gets Virginia ABC licenses for Del Ray taproom at 2003 Mount Vernon Avenue

New Capabilities Alexandria, VA local

Virginia ABC issues brewery and restaurant licenses; the 800-square-foot taproom is set to open by late August

August 28th, 2026: Planned opening date

Overview

Updated Aug 28

Crooked Run Fermentation has state licenses for its first Alexandria taproom. The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority issued both a brewery license and a restaurant license for 2003 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray on August 6. The 800-square-foot space, the former home of dessert shop Dolce & Bean, is set to open by the end of the month.

The Del Ray spot is the brewery's fourth location, joining taprooms in Leesburg, Sterling, and Washington's Union Market. Co-founders Jake Endres and Lee Rogan plan six taprooms across the region. The opening tests whether an independent brewery can still expand while the national craft beer market shrinks.

Why it matters

A fourth Crooked Run location gives Del Ray a new neighborhood gathering spot, and tests whether independent breweries can still grow in a shrinking market.

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Key Indicators

4
Crooked Run taproom locations once Del Ray opens
Joins Leesburg, Sterling, and Washington's Union Market.
28
Seats in the Del Ray taproom
More than 20 inside plus eight outside.
12
Tap handles on the draught system
Euro-faucet draught system installed for the bar.
13
Years since Crooked Run's founding
Founded in Leesburg in 2013.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

January 2013 August 2026

8 events Latest: August 28th, 2026 · 2 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. Planned opening date

    Latest Milestone

    Taproom plans to open with a 12-tap draught system and an elevated bar menu.

  2. Brewery and restaurant licenses issued

    Regulatory

    Virginia ABC issues both licenses for 2003 Mount Vernon Avenue, clearing the taproom to operate.

  3. Building permit secured

    Regulatory

    Permit clears after floor-sag repairs and retiling; 12-tap draught system installed.

  4. Lease signed

    Business

    Co-founders sign the lease, later than planned, pushing construction back several months.

  5. ABC application filed

    Regulatory

    Crooked Run files an Industry Brewery Application with Virginia ABC for the Del Ray address.

  6. First tour of the Mount Vernon Avenue space

    Planning

    Endres first tours the former Dolce & Bean storefront at 2003 Mount Vernon Avenue.

  7. Alexandria scouting begins

    Planning

    Endres and Rogan begin scouting Alexandria for a fourth taproom location.

  8. Crooked Run founded in Leesburg

    Founding

    Jake Endres and Lee Rogan start Crooked Run Fermentation as a nanobrewery in Leesburg.

Scenarios

1

Crooked Run opens Del Ray taproom by mid-September

Likely Resolves by Sep 15, 2026

Discussed by: Co-founder Lee Rogan told ALXnow the taproom would open August 28.

The licenses are in place. Construction is done, the draught system is installed, and staffing is underway. The taproom opens around schedule, with a grand opening and ribbon cutting following in September.

2

Del Ray opening slips into the fall

Possible Resolves by Nov 30, 2026

Discussed by: Endres's Substack noted delays already pushed construction back several months from the original timeline.

Final inspections, staffing, or finishing touches push the public opening past late August. Rogan left the grand opening date unscheduled, saying only that it would happen sometime in September, which leaves room for a softer, later start.

3

Crooked Run pushes past Del Ray, announces a fifth taproom

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Lee Rogan told ALXnow the company's plan is six taprooms across the region.

If the Del Ray location draws steady foot traffic, the brewery continues its expansion. A fifth location announcement would signal that the multi-taproom model is working and that independent breweries can still fund growth in a contracted market.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2020–2025

The Craft Beer Shakeout (2020–2025)

American craft breweries grew every year through the 2010s. From 2020, the market reversed: brewery closures outpaced openings as costs rose and taprooms competed for a shrinking pool of drinkers. Hundreds of small breweries closed nationwide.

Then

Independent brewers pulled back expansion plans; many closed flagship locations rather than open new ones.

Now

The shakeout pushed the industry toward larger regional players and multi-location operators that spread fixed costs.

Why this matters now

Crooked Run's fourth taproom runs against this wave. Its success depends on a neighborhood like Del Ray drawing enough foot traffic to keep an 800-square-foot spot profitable.

1990s–2020s

Del Ray's Dining Boom (1990s–2020s)

Del Ray was long a quiet residential corridor in Alexandria. From the 1990s, Mount Vernon Avenue filled with independent cafes, restaurants, and boutiques, turning it into one of Northern Virginia's most walkable dining streets.

Then

Retail turnover sped up; well-known independent operators now anchor blocks once marked by empty storefronts.

Now

Del Ray became a proving ground for single-location independents, then for regional brands wanting a 'local' footprint.

Why this matters now

2003 Mount Vernon Avenue was home to dessert shop Dolce & Bean until spring 2025. Crooked Run's lease is the latest turnover in a corridor where new concepts rapidly replace old ones.

Sources

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