Kent’s Airways Brewery combines suds with airliners

Alex Dittmar likes airliners. And he likes beer.

Maybe in that order – it depends on the beer and the airliner.

But thanks to his new business venture in Kent, the Des Moines resident doesn’t have to choose one over the other. He’s up to his eyeballs in both.

Dittmar is the founder and brewer of Airways Brewery, Kent’s only beer-making establishment. Kent also is home to the Ram Brewery in Kent Station, but they don’t actually make their beer in Kent.

All it takes is a walk into Airways Brewery to see evidence of Dittmar’s interests. Framed airliner prints line the walls, a high-definition television blares with aviation-related programing, and the tap handles behind the counter are the genuine door handles from a Boeing 747. Tables have “fasten your seatbelt” signs from aircraft, and airline placards grace the restrooms.

Dittmar, who works full time as a visual designer for Alaska Airlines, likes the combination, and the fact he’s sitting in the valley which has been a home to the Boeing Co. for many years.

“We’re celebrating the great airliners that came out of this region, combined with beer,” Dittmar said in a phone interview Tuesday.

With his longtime friend Jameson Gesford, who is his brewery manager – both are homebrewers with “hundreds of gallons between us over the years,” Dittmar said they brewed their first official vat Jan. 31. They sold their first pint March 4.

That glass was the culmination of many months of work: finding the right location, going through the regulatory hoops and turning office space into a brewery. Tack onto that the years Dittmar spent honing his beer recipes, and you have a serious commitment to aviation-themed suds.

Their grand opening was March 11, and it was a standing-room-only affair, with attendees crowding into the small tasting room for their chance to try a Kent microbrew.

Dittmar credited the good business to a healthy advance warning on various social networking sites.

“We’ve had Facebook up for months before opening,” he said.”The buildup is what helped.”

The brewery posts frequent updates to its accounts on Facebook, Twitter and its Web site (www.airwaysbrewing.com.) You can access the Twitter and Facebook posts by going to the Web site.

Still in its infancy, the brewery is growing slowly. At this point, Dittmar said they have four beers on tap.

There is a stout, which Dittmar is said “is actually very drinkable and light,” describing its flavors as “roasty and chocolatey.”

There’s also a honey blonde ale, with the honey coming from local bees in Pierce County. Dittmar said the local honey was important to him, from the standpoint of supporting honeybees, and their beekeepers, which are facing difficulties due to crippling diseases in the bee population. It’s also important to shop local, too, he said, and he tries to do that with more than just honey.

“Our brewing-supply place is less than a mile and a half from here,” he said.

Airways Brewery’s third concoction is an ESB (English Special Bitter), which Dittmar said “is a misnomer, because it’s not that bitter. It’s more middle of the road. I would consider it pretty mainstream – not too hoppy, not too sweet,” he said.

He’s also selling an IPA (India Pale Ale), which he said is a favorite varietal with Pacific Northwest beer drinkers.

The brews all are from Dittmar’s and Gesford’s recipes, which they honed from their years of home brews.

In accordance with the small size of the brewery, Dittmar is selling the beers in small batches.

“Bottling for a brewery our size is not cost effective,” he said.

So that means people have two options when it comes to buying brews from Airways: they can purchase it by the glass, or by the “growler,” a half-gallon jug that Airways will fill for $10.

“You can have a pint or two, and if you want to take something home that night, you can fill up a growler,” Dittmar said.

In April, they may have some wholesale arrangements made, so people can order their brews in pubs or restaurants around the region. He’s also hoping, down the road, to offer a food menu, although that will take some expansion of his current digs, or going somewhere else.

But he’s cautious about going too far, too fast.

“Our intention is to be small (for now),” he said. “I’ve watched several breweries expanding too quickly. I think we need a while where we’re at until we see how it goes.”

LEARN MORE

Airways Brewery is open to the public 4-8 p.m. every Thursday and Friday. The brewery is located in the West Valley Business Park, at suite T100, 6644 S. 196th St. Call 253-200-1707 for more info, or go to www.airwaysbrewing.com