LEDYARD â Adding a kitchen to Aurora Brewing Co. accidentally set in motion a six-figure renovation project that made its owners reconsider staying in business altogether.
But they're glad they did, they told The Citizen Friday in the brewery's gleaming new taproom. Because now they're having more fun with that business than ever. Â
Compared to the small, dingy taproom Mark Grimaldi and Joe Shelton opened in 2015, the new one suggests customers are standing in a completely different brewery. Raw studs and drywall have been replaced by white tile backsplash and a matte black tin ceiling. Behind the bar, a mural the size of a billboard casts Aurora's logo against the oceanic blue can art of one of its beers.Â