Dirty Laundry, Denver

“When we first opened, we were only allowed to have seventeen people in here,” recalls Sean Hathaway-Casey, who co-owns Dirty Laundry at 2955 Ulster Street in Central Park with his partner, Aubrey Rager. That was on January 8, 2021, still in year one of the pandemic, when almost no other bars opened in metro Denver at all.

The two are both native Midwesterners who relocated to Denver. Rager worked for years doing graphic design, mainly for schools and nonprofits, so her business almost dried up entirely in 2020. Hathaway-Casey is a longtime restaurant vet who was a general manager at a popular Italian spot in Denver when the pandemic hit. When they saw that the Ulster space was for lease, “we made moves to get out of working for other people,” Hathaway-Casey says.

Dirty Laundry is “a neighborhood bar for this neighborhood,” he explains. It’s a Midwest-inspired joint at heart, with bright and fun ’80s and ’90s-style decor. While you can get a $5 High Life Pony and a shot of rye paired with a basket of popcorn or Puppy Chow, you can also find thoughtfully crafted cocktails and a lineup of rare beers. The name is partly a tongue-in-cheek nod to the fact that the location is next to a dry cleaner, but also, says Hathaway-Casey, “it makes sense. You can come here and air your dirty laundry…we all have dirty laundry. None of us are angels. We’re all sinners; it’s okay.”