After some delays, Flyway Brewing’s second canned brew is now available. Free Range Brown Ale can be found in six-packs at the taproom, as well as grocery and liquor stores around Central Arkansas. The brew was supposed to be ready for Christmas, but problems at the brewery forced Flyway to push back its production schedule. Stop by the taproom to grab a six-pack, and while you’re there, get a pint of Flyway’s winter IPA. Kingfisher was around when Flyway first opened, and it’s back on tap for 2018. At 7.2 percent ABV, it will chase away these bad-weather blues with a maltier flavor than you’d expect from an IPA. Kingfisher is available by the pint or in a growler to go.
Lost Forty’s most successful beer (and one of the most successful in Arkansas) is its Love Honey Bock, and for its first Freshcut Monday of the year, the brew team is offering up a very adult riff on its flagship. Double Love Honey Doppelbock gets its anniversary release at 4 p.m. today. This one is no joke; at 9.5 percent ABV, it’s one-and-a-half times stronger than the normal version. Expect a full-bodied, rich brew with plenty of caramel and deep fruit notes. You can get this one by the pint and in four-packs to go.
A belated congratulations is in order for Jay Ragsdale, who has taken over brewing operations for Diamond Bear Brewing Company. Ragsdale was most recently brewing for Blood Eagle out of The Water Buffalo. He replaces Nathan Greubel, who decided to return to his engineering career over brewing. Greubel says he will still be doing plenty of home-brewing in his spare time, so you can expect to find his beers at festivals in 2018. By the way, Ragsdale has extended Diamond Bear’s Early Bear Oatmeal Stout to cover the rest of winter. This one is blended with coffee from Andina Café in downtown Little Rock. It’s available only at Diamond Bear’s taproom.
Blue Canoe has started 2018 off in a big way with several new features. Probably the biggest one is its addition of beer brunch on Saturdays and Sundays at the taproom on 3rd Street. Expect plenty of beer-themed menu items, like using Blue Canoe brews in the pancake batter. Also, the brewery has put its River King Imperial Stout on tap at both locations. It’s an 8 percent ABV brew with a chocolate profile that has a pretty big hoppy finish. And the warehouse on 15th Street will host a couple of concerts this weekend, with Tyler Sellers on Friday and Bluesboy Jag playing on Sunday. Cover for the shows is $5 each. Blue Canoe is also welcoming Say Cheese food truck for both shows to help feed the crowds.
And finally, a couple of quick notes we picked up on around the brew scene last week. Slate Rock Brewing in Clark County is continuing its taproom construction with, appropriately, a beautiful slate backdrop for its bar area. Slate Rock is aiming to be Clark County’s first brewery; the county finally went “wet” in 2011. And Buffalo Brewing at The Water Buffalo is starting a Thursday night game night with dominoes this week at 5 p.m. By the way, The Water Buffalo is the only place in Central Arkansas to find beer from several small breweries, including Prestonrose, Leap of Faith, Blood Eagle and Sidetracked Research Brewery.
Do you have some beer news you want to share with us? Email me at steve@rockcityeats.com.