February 2, 202112:56 pm GROWING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC: Flyway owner Jess McMullen (left) convinced his cousin Brayan McFadden to move to Arkansas to open a new specialty taproom, Brood & Barley. Brian Chilson
The summer of 2019 was supposed to mark a significant expansion for Flyway Brewing: It planned to introduce Early Bird IPA, one of its flagship beers, to statewide distribution. Its Bluewing Berry Wheat, introduced in 2017 with a memorable can design a namesake blue-winged teal silhouetted against the sun over a spread of water has been a massive hit throughout the state, and co-owner Jess McMullen was hoping to build on that momentum with a fourth, widely distributed beer (to go along with Bluewing, Honeybird Blonde Ale and Flying Duck Amber Ale). But transferring the recipe for Early Bird IPA to the can took longer than expected. “We poured a lot of batches out,” McMullen said. “We spent all of 2019 trying to per
Best Restaurants in Arkansas 2021
Best Restaurants in Arkansas 2021 Matthew Martin
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Arkansas Times’ Readers Choice restaurant contest. The issue went to press at a time when restaurants have, for just shy of one year, been faced with a pandemic and the necessary safety rules that have limited their customers. So, this year, we have a new category to join our traditional bests: Best Pandemic Dining. Our readers have praised Trio’s Restaurant and The Hive in Bentonville for keeping diners safely spaced. They’ve toasted Flyway Brewing and Superior Bathhouse Brewery in Hot Springs for their beer-to-go service. (A feature on Flyway, which also won Most Innovative, illustrates how it kept aloft.) They’ve recognized Star of India for its to-go packaging (and we give Sami Lal his due for his enduring success). Our readers found much to praise in restaurants from Fayetteville (Atlas and The Farmer’s Table Cafe)
As the colder days are among us, restaurant owners are forced to come up with a solution to keep their business up and going during the COVID-19 pandemic.