Brewery Spotlight: Flying Machine Brewing Co. in Wilmington, NC
When we travel, we love nothing more than checking out new breweries, learning about their background, and [obviously] tasting some of their brews.
In this brewery spotlight, we were fortunate to meet David Sweigart, Co-Founder of Flying Machine Brewing Co. out of Wilmington, NC.
We had the most wonderful experience at Flying Machine's taproom — we were able to taste a wide variety of their menu (and even sample a few brews right out of the tanks). Read on to learn more about Flying Machine, and why they are such a staple in Wilmington, NC.
Work For Your Beer (WFYB): We are so excited to learn more about Flying Machine. When did you open, and what is your most popular beer style?
David (D): We opened in 2018, and it is neck and neck between Lagers and Heavily Fruited Sours.
WFYB: Those are definitely our kind of brews. What is your favorite beer you've ever brewed?
WFYB: We'll need to get our hands on a can or two of those. What would you say is the weirdest beer you've ever made?
D: Forgotten Farms and Fields of Stone. This imperial lager was aged in Barr Hill gin barrels with raw honey and charred lemons (think bee's knees cocktail). It was uncarbed and best served over ice, like a cocktail. Weird, but ridiculously delicious.
WFYB:Wow! That sounds like a wild ride for your taste buds. Pivoting to one of our staple questions: if you had to make the *perfect* six-pack, what would you include in it?
D:
WFYB: We know you are passionate about giving back to the Wilmington community — tell us a little bit more about that.
D: We give back in a number of ways! We have a quarterly give of $5k to local nonprofits. The most recent have been Nourish NC (they help feed hungry kids in New Hanover County) and Special Pedals (they provide individualized training and employment for adults with disabilities). Also, I (along with other members of our team) personally volunteer on a regular basis with Nourish NC.
WFYB:That's amazing to hear! Now, one thing that is incredibly important to us is helping to make the craft beer space more inclusive. How do you make sure that your brewery is a safe space for your employees?
D: Simply put, we have a company policy and culture of mutual respect between and amongst all of our colleagues at Flying Machine. The details aside, the overarching message is that we want and ensure that all of our team members and management feel comfortable, safe, and give the same respect that they deserve to receive.
WFYB: Awesome! We love to hear it! Now, let's talk brewery activities. What are y'all hosting these days?
D: During the Spring, Summer, and into the Fall we do a Ride & Run every Wednesday night. I lead the bike ride (~ 10 miles) on the Cross City Trail and Omega Sports ILM helps with the Run (1, 3, 5-mile run) also along the Cross City Trail.
WFYB: Gotta love the classic bike & brew and run club combo! What makes your brewery unique? Why should someone stop by your taproom versus the others in Wilmington?
D: That’s a tough one to answer succinctly. I would simply say:
We cast a very wide net when it comes to beer styles to provide something for everyone, while at the same time, giving hyper-attention to every beer we brew. Just because we brew everything from lagers to fruited sours to hazies to imperial stouts to Norwegian Farmhouse beers to slushee derivatives doesn’t mean we are stretching ourselves too thin and lacking attention to detail. We put everything we have into each and every beer.
Our bartending staff is top-shelf. They truly care about making everyone feel comfortable branching out along the craft beer spectrum as well as an obvious care about our brand and the overall taproom experience.
With a large open taproom and a two-story outside area + an outside bar, our customers have options for their drinking climate.
WFYB: Lastly, why do you support the #WorkForYourBeer mantra?
D: It’s good to have fun, but gotta keep the old body in shape so you can have fun for as long as possible during our short time on the planet. Make the most of it, ya know?!
WFYB: We feel ya completely!
Huge thanks to David for taking the time to share the Flying Machine story with us here on the Work For Your Beer blog.
If you ever find yourself in Wilmington looking for a good brewery, we highly recommend checking out their taproom.
Want to be considered for an upcoming feature? Email cheers@workforyourbeer.com to set up an interview!