aviator brewery

I went here with my husband and a friend of his. We had purchased a groupon in order to do the tour and get a few things to take home. None of us had ever been on a brewery tour and we all found it fun and educational. We didn't get to try any beers on the tour (even though it is advertised as you get to try LOTS of beers, not the case). I don't know if that was supposed to be at the end of the tour but we were hungry so went to their smokehouse (recommend). My husband and his friend did have a pint while waiting for the tour to start and they both really enjoyed them. We went on the tour and learned a lot about the beer making process. I think we did have every home brewer in a 30 mile radius of Fuquay though. That did make it very educational though. The CFO was our guide and was very informative and easy to talk to if you had a question. This brewery keeps growing and I would easily come back to learn more. They do have a bar area where you can just order a pint of fill your growler any time you would like. It isn't near the smokehouse...it is about a 1 1/2 miles away. This has made me want to try out other breweries in the area (so many are popping up in the Raleigh area). Hopefully they aren't a let down because this was a great way to spend an hour.

I have visited many of the other local breweries in the area and most just have one or two good brews and the rest are just okay or worse. Aviator is the only brewery where all the different brew lines are consistent in taste and quality. Even types of beer I would not normally drink are very delicious. The brewery and bar in downtown Varina have a great atmosphere for outside seating and dogs. Also, the beer shop has opened across the street with an excellent selection of craft and import beers as well as premium cigars.

I had purchased a Groupon for this place and came along with some friends. We each had a two year old and they seemed to not care. The tour was great even had a sample on the tour. I liked many of their beers, and I don't like hoppy beer. I Will definitely be returning!

Loved the place and the beers. Went on the tour and enjoyed being able to walk around with a beer, then a free beer (you get to try two or if a busy day one beer on the tour) while learning about the whole process. My tour guy was great but I did wish you had more than just two choices of beer to try.

My hubby and I stopped by for lunch - our first visit. It was a beautiful day, so we sat outside of their street front patio. One would think that the steady traffic going by would otherwise be pleasant. Not so. Steady? Yes. But the speed limit is one only 25mph. What we weren't expecting is that our food order arrived from their restaurant that is directly across the street - on a tray, covered in plastic wrap. A whole new meaning to the job title of 'expiditer'! Somewhat limited menu (on the Aviator side), but the food was decent, and prices reasonable. Their selection of beer is most impressive. But the service was slow, at a non-busy time. So if you are not in a hurry, and are looking for a great place to gather with friends, this is a great place.

Another great find - just a fun place to be! The atmosphere is terrific if you're sitting inside at the bar or out on the deck soaking in the sun. The bartender was SUPER friendly and knowledgable about the wide selection of brews on tap. And wow, do they have some great beer!! If I were rating it just on beer and atmosphere it would be a solid 5 stars. We had lunch there as well on a recent visit and although it was fairly good, it wasn't anything memorable. My wife had the BBQ sampler plate - three sliders including pulled pork, chopped pork, and brisket. I had a bite of each and couldn't tell one from the other. Maybe it was that hoppy taste in my mouth from that terrific Hogwild IPA! But they weren't memorable. I wasn't that hungry so I ordered the bratwurst which was a single link dwarfed by the bun with sauerkraut and two onion rings. The side of fries was dominating the plate and the cole slaw was mediocre. I wouldn't suggest getting that.So don't look for GREAT bar food here - but it is acceptable. And I'm more than willing to compromise on the food when the beer and service are this good. And they were!! Highly recommended if you like good beer! Oh, and whoever does their artwork for the beer logos is amazing!

This tour starts in the crude bar area at the front of the building and ends in another similar bar at the back end of the building. Based upon my own experience, there appears to be an attitude within this "organization" that rules don't count. I arrived at 6 PM when the tour was to start, (verified several hours earlier by phone as well as on the website) and was informed by the bartender that the tour would not begin until the crowd had drunk its fill, about 6:30. There was a large group inside the bar and plenty of beer being consumed. The high alcohol content of the brew nearly assured that quite a few members of the group could be "tanked" by the time the tour started a little after 6:30. The tour guide "Chris" may have just returned from a barn where he had been shoveling manure. His jeans looked as if they had been lying beneath a bridge for a few weeks having been discarded by the homeless person who had been wearing them. Once inside the brewery, Chris toasted the crowd with his own large glass of brown ale. Whether it was his first I could not say, but he had been standing near the bar earlier. He was jocular when he presented as a humorous factoid that the airplane owner/ founder of Aviator had been manufacturing and distributing the alcoholic results of his experiments with fermentation in an airport hanger in Fuquay Varina until being informed by the local law that he needed to cease and desist. Whoa! Really humorous and a source of pride for sure. At least that is what the young, beverage toting male group member with the "Blank it!! Just Drink" shirt seemed to think. (I changed one word to accommodate this site's family friendly guidelines)"Blank" was emblazoned full size on his shirt so I understood why he appreciated the story. The art of beer making is not necessarily profound or comparable to a work by an Old Master, but it is a tradition that deserves a bit of professionalism and respect. I didn't see that during this tour and left disappointed. I have previously enjoyed touring another brewery but this tour was unsatisfactory in many ways.

Was visiting a nearby college and heard of Aviator though the grapevine and thought I would try it out. Went for a brewery tour with a friend and we had a great tour. Our tour guide was hilarious and loved to share his knowledge. We even got a free refill on our way through the tour. We went on a Saturday and it was a great atmosphere, with lots of people, a band, and a cookout outside. We tried a few beers- Devils tripel and Oktober beast being my favorite! It was a great time and a great decision to stop by here.

Been a on a few brewery tours before..short and sweet not alot to say. This one was very informative about the process start to finish. The beer is very good!!! The atmosphere was laid back and chill!I definitely would recommend to go and check it out!

Title says it all love the tap room in the old train station. Thank you for canning your beer so I do not have to drink a whole growler

My wife & I took one of the early tours last Sat night. Our tour guide was one of the founders of the brewery and as you might expect he was extremely knowledgeable about beer & all aspects of making fine craft beers. I believe I remember him saying they were only 4 or 5 years old and already have moved & expanded once and are currently building a large expansion to their current facility. They plan to be the largest craft brewer in North Carolina in 2014. The groupon tour came with 2 pint glasses, a 4 pack & a 22oz bottle to take home. I have been on a number of brewery tours and very few will allow you to take a glass of beer on the tour - Aviator does. They have a great selection of beers to taste.

Took the tour today for an afternoon something to do. We enjoy finding unique microbreweries and after frequent visits to some of Colorado's best, were pleasantly surprised with our visit today to Aviator. What a fun experience! The tap room atmosphere created ample anticipation for the tour. Lots to see on the walls while waiting and enjoying a pint or two. The beer was outstanding. My fiancé and I both loved the Saison. Lots of flavor, some spice. Then we tried the High Voltage IPA which had a nice clean bite. The tour was casual but informative, led by the CEO. Most of all, I enjoyed hearing how a small NC business got off the ground, and is in the midst of tremendous expansion and success. After the tour, we went over to the Aviator Smokehouse restaurant in downtown Fuquay-Varina and had dinner. I will review the restaurant in their category. For a great afternoon or evening out to do something different, I absolutely would recommend Aviator! I am thrilled that NC can claim this microbrewery. Will be back! FYI, Trader Joe's carries their product.

We got a groupon for a tour as a gift. The tour was a small group of people, everyone with a beer in their hand, taking a relaxe tour. Everyone was very nice, loved the tour, and the oatmeal stout was great.

Excellent beer selection and hands down best wings I've ever had. Nice scenery and good times! Will definitely return!

We bought a Groupon for the brewery which was a great deal. Essentially, the place is a bar that is attached to a brewery which has a tour of the brewery every 30 minutes or so. The beer is pretty good and the tour is informative. I definitely recommend this if you are in the area.