Ken Thoburn, Derrick Moyer, Daniel Heath and Jason Sabol launched Wingman Brewers as a nano-brewery in April 2011. They drove their beer from their small space at 1727 Fawcett in downtown Tacoma top The Red Hot for a beer release celebration. The brewery’s name and image is homage to Thoburn’s grandfather, an artist who served in World War II in the Pacific, and painted the sides of fighter planes when he could. In 2012, they moved their one-barrel system to their current location at 509 ½ Puyallup Avenue, adding a taproom. In 2013, they were a 7-barrel operation, doubling their production in two months. In 2014, they added larger fermentators, doubling their production again. Toward the end of last year they doubled production once again, as well as bottle a fancy bottling machine and signed with Click Distributing.
Today, Thoburn, Moyer and Heath pilot the business. Wingman Brewers has produced iconic beers with aviation names such as Ace IPA, Stratofortress Belgian Strong Ale and P-51 Porter.
Saturday, April 23, the Wingman crew will celebrate their fifth anniversary with a shindig in a spacious warehouse a few doors down from their brewery. Five bucks gets you in the door, with a commemorative pint glass and your first pour. Tacoma food truck Viet Nom Nom will park out front.
Plenty of beer will be available at the party. …
IPAs
Ace IPA
Pocket Aces Double IPA
Propwash Spring IPA with Grapefruit
5th Anniversary Quintuple Hops Brewed IPA
Sours
Lime Gose
2011 Barrel-aged Oud Bruin
Berliner Weiss
2015 Flanders Red
Stouts/Porter
P-51 Porter
Coconut P-51 Porter
Peanut Butter Cup p-51 Porter
Pistachio P-51 Porter
2014 Bourbon Barrel Aged Big Baby Flat Top Imperial Stout
2016 Bourbon Barrel Aged Big Baby Flat Top Imperial Stout
Farmhouse
Kewl Hand Cuke Cucumber Saison
Bottles
2016 Bourbon Barrel Aged Big Baby Flat Top Imperial Stout
5th Anniversary Quintuple Hops Brewed IPA
Kewl Hand Cuke Cucumber Saison
Propwash Spring IPA w/ Grapefruit
Ace IPA & P-51 Porter 6 packs
WINGMAN BREWERS 5TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY, Saturday, April 23, 11 a.m., Wingman Hangar, 525 Puyallup Ave., Tacoma, 253.256.5340