BRUNSWICK

The Midcoast’s newest brewery opened last Thursday at Brunswick Landing, continuing a trend of new businesses revitalizing the former military base.

Flight Deck Brewing has moved into the former small arms shooting range on Atlantic Avenue, and will be putting the surrounding swath of land to use with a patio and lawn area for folks to relax in the warmer months.

Co-owner Nate Wildes — who also co-founded nearby New Beet Market with his fiancee, Jamie Pacheco — said he opened Flight Deck Brewing with the vision of bringing a vibrant space to gather for young and old people alike.

“There are many efforts in place to make Brunswick a sustainable community,” said Wildes, who lives in Harspwell. “A sustainable community means you’re engaging folks who are here in a meaningful way, and that’s what we want to do with Flight Deck. I want a place where people can come and meet.”

Wildes said Flight Deck is slated to be the largest gathering place in Brunswick aside from the Brunswick Mall, and envisions folks from all walks of life to come not just for the beer, but for the camaraderie and community building as well.

“My fiancee and I are members of this community, and we wanted to build an enterprise that could support, develop and facilitate the kind of community we wanted to stay in,” said Wildes. “We want to stay here for the rest of our lives, so we want to help build a community that our children can grow up in.”

Wildes said the plan for Flight Deck Brewing was hatched out of New Beet Market’s success as a sustainable nonprofit. Once New Beet was established, Wildes said he realized the wealth of space and potential offered by Brunswick Landing.

“I’m a brewery fan, and learned that maybe a dozen breweries had scoped out property on the Landing and nobody was willing to pull the trigger,” said Wildes. “Most people ended up going to the Portland area. But we felt like there was an opportunity right here.”

After securing financing through the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority and other investors last year, Wildes set to work on his vision. He joined forces with coowner Jared Entwisle, who has 10 years of brewing experience under his belt and most recently worked for Shipyard Brewing Company in Portland.

“Jared can brew a great beer,” said Wildes. “He’s a mad scientist who knows how to brew a drinkable, stylish beer with a focus on quality. He’s created a menu of beers that is good for everybody.”

All of the beer is brewed on-site, with each of the mash tun brewing containers in public view so folks can watch the process as they walk into the brewery, the sweet scent of hops hanging in the air.

Some of the beer flavors offered by Flight Deck include imperial IPA, blueberry and hibiscus tea. Wildes said he and Entwisle declined to brew a flagship beer — a practice that newer, upstart breweries have sometimes done to get their product up and running — because he wanted a “repertoire of beers to bring folks in.”

“We want them to decide what they like best, and then we’ll brew more of that,” said Wildes.

Entwisle said that his brewing practice involves single infusion mash, which entails mixing mashed grains with hot water in large, metal bins to achieve the desired brew. Entwisle called the process “pretty standard in the brewing world.”

What sets Flight Deck apart, Entwisle said, is their pledge to use no artificial flavoring in their beer and keep ingredients 100 percent authentic. They will also continue experimenting with new flavors, such as groot, sour and Berliner Weisse.

“I want to get a few session ales going for the summer, too,” said Entwisle. “We are going to try and switch it up every season.”

Entwisle said that the typical brewing turnover for a beer is two to three weeks, but that he sets aside two months for new flavors to try out different versions and iron out any kinks.

New beers can be sampled in Flight Deck’s tasting room, along with food like cheese, charcuterie and sandwiches from New Beet Market. Also, food trucks and portable pizza ovens will pull up outside during the warmer months.

“If it’s nice people can wander around outside, sit at the picnic tables, play games, get something to eat,” said Wildes. “If it’s raining we’ll have an awning up so you can walk to the trucks from inside without getting wet.”

Wildes said having this mix of beer, food vendors and space will give Flight Deck Brewing a plethora of options going forward.

“Whoever you are, if you’re coming out to meet people, with your families or just to drink beer, there’s something here for everyone,” said Wildes.

Flight Deck Brewing is located on 11 Atlantic Ave. in Brunswick, and is open Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The brewery is closed on Monday and Tuesday for brewing and distribution. For more information, visit flightdeckbrewing.com.

bgoodridge@timesrecord.com

Beer details

• FLIGHT DECK BREWING is located on 11 Atlantic Ave. in Brunswick, and is open Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The brewery is closed on Monday and Tuesday for brewing and distribution.

• FOR MORE information, visit flightdeckbrewing.com.

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