Saturday night found me driving down a dark country road South of Raleigh. I had never been down the road so I had no clue exactly how it would lead me to the area's newest brewery. Eventual the road lead to a darkened airfield and a homemade sign indicating Aviator Brewing.

I turned down the bumpy dirt road, but I was confident I was near. Sure enough another sign a short ways down the road indicated parking and the only building with an active light had another sign above the door.

The night was still so the calm country air punctuated the moment before I went inside the airport hanger.

As the door opened into the hanger the scene became alive with a flurry of activity. The bar was filled with neighbors, friends, and well wishers to celebrate the opening. At the center of the party was owner and brewer Mark Doble.

He greeted me immediately and for his opening night had a guest tap and his Hot Rod Red. The Red turned out to be his take on an Irish Red ale. His had a bit more hops than normal and was quite tasty. The beer was young and unflitered so there was a bit of yeast still in suspension but that didn't bother me as a little yeast is a good thing.

Mark showed me around his system that is an amalgam of systems he's cobbled from California to Montana to here. The converted dairy tanks being used as open fermenters were the real star of his 10 barrel system. I have been reading about converted dairy tank systems since the early 90s but I think this was the first time I saw one actively used in production. It provided a homemade feel to the brewery and a unique character to Aviator's approach to brewing.

Mark said the bottling line should be arriving in the next week, but hopes to sell kegs mostly if possible. Aviator brews should be showing up in the Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, and Apex. The rest of the Triangle area will have to find it own way down to the brewery, but it's well worth the trip.