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 perfect that beer.”