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Press Release
“Warbird” Newest Brewery on
Indiana Scene
10 November 2004, 6:30 AM
- Warbird Brewing Company begins testing operations in
Fort Wayne brewing facility.
- Warbird will be among the first group of microbreweries
nationally to package their premium microbrew beer in cans.
FORT WAYNE, In, Nov. 10 // -- Warbird Brewing Company has
started testing their production and packaging operations in their
brewing facility, located 1 mile east of the Fort Wayne International
Airport.
Dave Holmes, owner and
president of Warbird Brewing Company, LLC indicates that their
operations should be fully functional by the end of 2004.
“We have had a great
time building this brewery, and we are really excited about the can,”
said Holmes. “Nothing
protects good beer better than a good can. We invested in quality equipment
that would make excellent beer and a high-speed canning system that
would package it efficiently. Modern canning technology is really going to be key to our
success.”
Warbird cans, produced
by the Ball Corporation, feature a micro-thin internal coating that
prevents the product from touching metal.
When compared to bottles, can advantages include their
portability, safety, and superior light protection.
Jamie Gordon, from
Cask, Inc. of Calgary, Canada will be in Fort Wayne in November to
finalize the settings on the high-speed canning machine utilized by
Warbird. The machine is
capable of packaging 30 cans per minute with 2 operators. Warbird purchased the second
high-speed machine sold by Cask.
Holmes has attracted
Matt Hill, formerly of the Oyster Bar, back to Fort Wayne as his lead
brewer. “Matt is a
wonderful guy with great brewing skill.
He took my 5-gallon home brew recipe for our T-6 Red Ale and
brewed it perfectly the first time on a system he had never used. It was amazing,” said Holmes. Assisting Hill will be Travis
Miller, another experienced Fort Wayne home brewer who is in development
as a brewing professional.
Initially,
Warbird will offer only their T-6 Red Ale in cans and on draft. Further varieties are projected
to include their P-51 Pale Ale, B-25 Brown Ale, and P-47 Warbird Wheat. Holmes plans to market Warbird
beer by utilizing real “warbirds,” including his own World War II
era T-6 trainer. Airplanes
referred to as “warbirds” are retired military aircraft from the
World War II, Korea, or Vietnam era that are flown by civilian pilots. |
10515 Majic Port Lane
North on Ind 1 from I-469, south of Ft. Wayne. The brewery is on the right at the first traffic light.This new 18-bbl brewery should have beer available in kegs and cans in January, 2005.
