Q: What’s a “warbird”?
A: A warbird is an airplane that was operated by the military and is now retired.  People argue about what is a "true" warbird, but most reasonable people agree that any airplane that has served in military service can be considered a warbird.  Click FUN STUFF for lots more on this.

Q: Why did you pick the name "Warbird" for the beer?
A: I love warbirds and beer, so it was easy.  I thought it would be a great distinctive brand with broad appeal to anyone who appreciates beer, appreciates airplanes, appreciates our history, and appreciates our military.
Click THE WARBIRD STORY for lots more detail on this.

Q: Where can I buy Warbird beer?
A: Please see the BEER FINDER on the main menu.

Q: Can I buy beer directly from the brewery?
A: Sorry, no.  We only sell through retailers who carry Warbird.

Q: Can I buy beer over the Internet and have it shipped to me?
A: Sorry, no.  Federal and state laws don't allow that for beer.

Q: Why can I buy wine on the Internet and have it shipped but not beer?
A: I don't know.  I don't think it is fair, but I don't make the laws.

Q: What is the difference between an ale and a lager?
A: This a confusing question for most people who want to learn more about beer, because the words can be used to mean several things.  First, the words "ale" and "lager" can be used to refer to styles of beer.  The word "lager" can also be a verb, which comes from a German word for "cold-conditioning" beer in underground caves, so "lagering" is actually a brewing technique.

I think the simplest way to eliminate the confusion is to stick to the terms "ale" and "lager" as descriptions of the yeast.  Ale yeast typically works best at about normal room temperature (68-72º F).  As the yeast does its work, it tends to float upward, so some people refer to ale yeast as "top fermenting" yeast.  Lager yeast, on the other hand, works better at lower temperatures (40-55º F) and tends to stay suspended in the beer while it works.  To distinguish this behavior from ales, some people refer to this as 'bottom fermenting" yeast.

Ale yeast and lager yeast are both capable of making great beer.  A well designed and brewed beer from either type of yeast can taste absolutely great (see my comments about T-6 Red Ale and Yuengling Lager below).  When I hear people get intense about "ales are better than lagers" or "lagers are better than ales," I figure they just want to argue about something.  Used properly, they both make great beer.  You can't argue with taste.

Q: When you talk about beer, what does the word "bitter" mean?
A:  This is also a confusing word for most people who want to learn more about beer.  First, "bitter" is a perception that is sensed by your tongue and interpreted by your brain.  Your tongue has 4 basic senses: salty, sweet, sour, and bitter.  Sweet is sensed at the tip of your tongue.  Sour is sensed on the side of your tongue.  Bitter is sensed in the back-middle of our tongue.  Good wine has a balance between sweet and sour that the brain interprets as "good taste."  Good beer has a balance between sweet and bitter that the brain interprets as "good taste."  Malt is the sweet component of beer.  Hops is the bitter component of beer.

To make good beer, you should consider how much bitterness you put into your beer to properly balance the sweetness so you get a good result.  You control bitterness by the variety and amount of hops you use when you brew.  When you see the term IBU in reference to beer, this stands for International Bittering Units.  As a bench mark, T-6 Red Ale has an IBU of 14, which is relatively low and makes it very easy on the mouth.  On the other hand, Warhawk Pale Ale has an IBU of about 35, which has a higher bitterness impact on the tongue.  Get a six-pack of both and try them side by side.  You will find that they are both balanced in terms of bitter and sweet, but you will definitely perceive more bitterness in the Warhawk Pale Ale.  Brewers call this "hop flavor."  This is a good thing.  Warhawk has more bitterness intentionally because that is the style of an American Pale Ale.  It has more malt, more alcohol, and more bitterness.  That is how the brewer intends it.  The point is that the term "bitter" in beer absolutely DOES NOT MEAN "good" or "bad."  Bitter is simply a flavor component of beer that balances sweet.  At Warbird, we balance all of our beers in this way to give them superior drinkability.

Q: Why do you put your T-6 Red Ale in cans?
A: Click on CRAFT BEER IN CANS for that answer.

Q: What is a T-6?
A: When people say "T-6," that is short-hand for AT-6. "AT" stands for "Advanced Trainer."  For lots of detail on this and other warbirds, CLICK HERE to go directly to the "Warbird's Favorite Warbirds" page.