Dry Lake Brewing | Great Bend, KS
Beer Trip: Dry Lake Brewing in Great Bend, Kansas
With both of us having grown up in the central Kansas region (and Morgan in Great Bend specifically!), Dry Lake Brewing now offers one more reason for us to go back home.
Dry Lake offers an enormous space for beer & cocktail connoisseurs alike!
The Brewery
Inconspicuous on the outside, but don’t be fooled - the inside is a 10/10!
Private area that can be reserved for parties or events
Located right in the heart of downtown Great Bend in an old shoe store, Dry Lake can almost be mistaken as a retail shop when driving by. Walking up to the front door you pass their covered, open-air seating area. On a nice day, two large overhead garage doors open up right into the brewery creating an ideal indoor/outdoor space. For the dog lovers the outdoor space is dog friendly.
The indoor space is huge with an open structured ceiling and a full container unit forming the back wall of the bar. Speaking of the bar - it spans almost the entire length of the tasting area, with seating for at least a dozen. Towards the back of the brewery Dry Lake offers a private area that can be reserved - perfect for a party or business event.
Although it’s not a focal point in itself, one can get incredible views of the brewing area and fermentation tanks while walking to/from the restroom or back parking lot.
Large, outdoor, dog-friendly patio with retractable garage doors
The Beer
Dry Lake maintains roughly 10 beers on tap with roughly half being flagships and the other being continual rotators. For someone who appreciates both of these categories, it’s been nice to experience on our visits. They do a great job at varying the brew styles here. With wheats, IPAs, a pilsner, and a stout available, everyone can appreciate something on the menu.
Having stopped in on multiple occasions, we can safely say that their beer flavor is top notch. Perhaps our favorite tap is the Annalyne (which we have been told gets its namesake from one of the owner’s daughters)! This Irish red ale has great malts and the perfect amount of caramel tones. A couple of their more popular options offer a unique take to some standard brewing styles. Among these are the 5-0 Wheat, which is rather dry for a wheat, and the Monon Blonde, with a sharp, clean finish. While these won’t be to everyone’s liking, any beer person can certainly appreciate these distinctive twists.
Vibrantly drawn tap list!
Food & Merch
Mixers ready for their house seltzers, mules, and cocktails
In addition to being a brewery, Dry Lake also has a full bar. One of their best features are their signature house cocktails, which are tempting to get (even for a beer lover)! They offer an entire menu of house-made seltzers and specialty mules, which appear to be a huge hit by patrons we’ve observed. If you’re looking for a beer/cocktail hybrid, you can even try a “beermosa” made with their house wheat.
Merchandise selection in fun green colors seem to pay homage to the original Brown’s Shoe Fit location
While they do not serve food themselves, Dry Lake constantly partners with food trucks and also allows outside food brought in from the local restaurants surrounding it. One of our favorite restaurants to carry in is Lumpy’s Home Field, which is just a quick walk across the parking lot.
While not a robust selection, Dry Lake still offers some merchandise onsite including shirts, hats, and glassware.
If you find yourself in the heart of Kansas, be sure to visit Dry Lake Brewing. We know we will definitely be back thanks to the good beer, good vibes, and friendly staff (thanks Ryan)!
Cheers!
Wrought iron signage on the patio
The only remnant of the old shoe store logo!
Great views of the brewing area from behind glass in the back hallway
