By Iron Chef Leftovers
After a brief hiatus, we are back with the continuation of the North Sound Brewery Tour.
Stop 4 – Flyer’s Brewing in Oak Harbor
A winding drive from Anacortes down SR20, across Deception Pass, brings you to Whidbey Island and the sleepy little hollow of Oak Harbor, best known for being the home of Naval Air Station Whidbey. Lesser known is that there is also a brewpub in Oak Harbor right on Route 20 – Flyer’s Brewing.
The Beer – Back when Flyer’s first opened, they made great beers – innovative, tasty and worth seeking out. That was not the Flyer’s we experienced. They listed only 6 beers on tap – Blonde, Hefe, IPA, Amber, Brown and Porter, not exactly a killer lineup, but liking their beers, I was ok with that. We found out they only had 4 of the 6 – the Blonde and IPA were not available (I remember the IPA being pretty good). After ordering a sampler, none of the beers were particularly memorable. Sure they were all drinkable, but I wouldn’t run out to find any of them. The Porter was the best of the bunch and it was pretty mild with faint hints of chocolate. The Brown and Amber were so subdued that you could have had them interchangeably without missing a beat (or being able to tell which was which). The hefe had slight citrus overtones, and considering it was a warm, sunny afternoon, was the beer of choice when we ordered the pitchers. Flyer’s has their beers available in 22 oz. bottles at most better bottle shops, but I am not sure if I would go out of my way to seek them out. The lack of selection and lackluster beer made me think that they might be on their way out of the brewing business. As a whole, the beer was not well received by the group – 2 propellers out of 5.
The Atmosphere – Flyer’s from the outside looks like a converted Pizza Hut – right on the corner of a major intersection. Don’t let the outside fool you. The inside has a nice bar area and the dining area is quite sizeable. The restaurant is decorated with an aviation theme (as you would expect), but restrained enough that you don’t feel like you are at TGI McFunster’s. The real highlight was the outdoor patio, which was nearly as large as the dining area and completely packed (as was the dining area, but not as crowded). On a warm, sunny day, being outside was a big bonus – 5 Warm Fronts out of 5.
Dog Friendliness – Flyer’s is a dog’s perfect spot to enjoy a brew with her people. The big outdoor deck is spacious and has plenty of places you can hitch up Fido and with a separate entrance; you can bring the pooch right to the table with you. There were plenty of dogs in the outdoor space and the staff was very happy to bring a water bowl. Flyer’s fetches a score of 5 squeaky toys out of 5. Good girl. Stay.
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