Aviator Brewing Company

Name

Aviator Brewing Company

Legal name

Aviator Brewing Company

Website

https://aviatorbrew.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Beer

NAICS

Breweries (312120), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Malt Beverages (2082), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Kegging & Draught Packaging Operations (AFAFAJAI), Bulk Beverage & Keg Distribution (AFAIAGAK), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Craft beer production
• Brewpub operations
• Craft brewery venue
• Beer packaging
• Taproom experience

Headquarters

HQ city

Fuquay Varina

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Craft Beer Production & Sales: Aviator Brewing produces and sells its own award-winning craft beer across multiple formats (4-pack 12oz cans, 4-pack/6-pack/15-pack 16oz cans, 50L kegs, 1/6bbl kegs, Big Kegs 13.2GAL, Sixtel Kegs 5.17GAL) through its three owned venues, retail store shelves (since August 2011), and direct keg sales at the brewery. This is the company's primary revenue stream.
2. Food & Beverage Service: Revenue from food and beverage service at the Hangar Bar & Restaurant, TapHouse & Kitchen, Pub & BeerShop, and restaurant venues at the new brewery campus (Venue Pavilion, Breakfast/Event Restaurant, planned Aviator SteakHouse, C-54 Airplane Bar). Includes on-site dining, takeout, and catering.
3. Events & Catering: Revenue from private event bookings, corporate events, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, and catering services at the Ready Room Bar & Event Space and the new brewery's event facilities.
4. Online Merchandise & Food Ordering: Revenue from the company's Shopify e-commerce storefront for merchandise and online food ordering through third-party platforms (Toasttab, Chownow) at each location.
5. International Distribution: Revenue from export sales to international markets including Korea, Taiwan, Brazil (since May 2015) and the United Kingdom (1,800+ locations since August 2016), with plans to reconnect with key markets in Asia, South America, and Europe.
6. Distillery Spirits: Revenue from Gold Leaf Distilling spirits (including Gold Leaf spirits used in Aviator's own cocktails), reflecting the company's diversification into distilling since ordering its first still in July 2015.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Aviator Brewing Company produces and sells a rotating portfolio of 24-35 award-winning craft beers across core, seasonal (Hangar Series, TakeOff Series), X-Series, and limited-availability lines in formats including 4/6-pack cans, 15/18-pack cans, 50L kegs, 1/6bbl kegs, big kegs (13.2 gal), and sixtel kegs (5.17 gal). The company operates three on-site food-and-beverage venues (Hangar Bar & Restaurant, TapHouse & Kitchen, Pub & BeerShop), a private events space (Ready Room), an amphitheater, and an in-house distilling operation (Gold Leaf), distributing cans via retail stores across North Carolina and exporting internationally to Korea, Taiwan, Brazil, and the UK.

Product overview

Aviator Brewing Company is a craft brewery founded in November 2008 in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. The company operates a portfolio of craft beer products including 11 core beers (Devil's Tramping Ground Tripel, HogWild IPA, MadBeach Orange Wheat, WideOpen Red, BlackMamba Stout, Crackpot Pils, ChopShop IPA, 3Bones Kolsch, Aviator Lager, GigaBlaster, and Mezzanotte Cappuccino Tiramisu Porter), seasonal releases (PUMPKINBEAST, OKTOBERBEAST, DOUBLE UGLY Rye Pale Ale, STEAMHEAD, AVIATOR Gose, CRACKPOT KICK, SAISON DE AVIATOR), and limited availability beers (DEVILS NIGHTMARE Imperial Tripel, NIGHTJUMP Imperial Stout). The company also operates multiple food and beverage venues including the Aviator Hangar Bar & Restaurant (main venue with 60-barrel brewhouse), Aviator TapHouse & Kitchen (historic train depot), Aviator Pub & BeerShop (brick oven pizza and rooftop bar), Ready Room Bar & Event Space, Whiskey Bar, and the Aviator Amphitheater. Upcoming venues include Aviator SteakHouse and the C-54 Airplane Bar (late 2026). Services include keg sales, catering, online food ordering, and gift card management. The company exports to international markets including Korea, Taiwan, Brazil, and the United Kingdom.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hangar Series: Seasonal beers including PumpkinBeast (Aug 1-Oct 31) and OktoberBeast (Sept 1-Oct 31)
• TakeOff Series
• X-Series

Products and services

• Aviator Craft Beer Portfolio A rotating portfolio of 24-35 award-winning craft beers spanning Core (Devil's Tramping Ground Tripel, HogWild IPA, MadBeach Orange Wheat, WideOpen Red, BlackMamba Stout, Crackpot Pils, ChopShop IPA, 3Bones Kolsch, Aviator Lager, GigaBlaster, Mezzanotte Cappuccino Tiramisu Porter, The Haze Is Strong With This One), Hangar Series seasonal (PumpkinBeast, OktoberBeast), TakeOff Series specialty (Pineapple Chaos IPA, King Humulus, Aviator Amber), X-Series premium (HorsePowerDIPA, SharkFight, Haze is Strong), and limited-availability (Devils Nightmare Imperial Tripel 14.99% ABV, NightJump Imperial Stout 13% ABV). Available in 4-pack/12oz cans, 4-pack/16oz cans, 6-pack/12oz cans, 15-pack 12oz cans, 18-pack, 50L kegs, 1/6bbl kegs, Big Kegs 13.2 GAL, and Sixtel Kegs 5.17 GAL.
• Aviator Hangar Bar & Restaurant Full-service restaurant and bar at the new brewery campus offering scratch-made food (smoked wings, smash burgers, premium steaks, seafood), handcrafted cocktails using Gold Leaf Distilling spirits, and fresh Aviator beer brewed on site in the state-of-the-art 60-barrel brewhouse. Aviation-themed atmosphere with live music and sports viewing.
• Aviator TapHouse & Kitchen Outdoor gastro pub and full restaurant addition at 600 E. Broad St., Fuquay-Varina, NC, featuring a 38-foot African mahogany bar, state-of-the-art micromatic draft beer system with glycol cooling, full food menu (TapHouse Nachos, West Coast Burger, B-52 Chicken Sandwich, Black Mamba Corned Beef Reuben, Aviator Wings, Big Bad Bourbon Burger), and live music programming.
• Aviator Pub & BeerShop & Rooftop Bar Pub and rooftop bar with brick oven pizza, rustic pub dining, outdoor patio seating, and rooftop bar located at 601 E. Broad St., Fuquay-Varina, NC. Sells Aviator beers brewed at the production brewery, crafting 24-35 different brews including dark ales, stouts, porters, hazy IPAs, sours, steam beer, and seasonal releases. Also serves as a limited keg pickup location.
• Ready Room Bar & Event Space Premier private event venue accommodating up to 60 guests with a full-service bar, flexible indoor event space, and aviation-inspired atmosphere. Available for corporate events, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, live music, community gatherings, and gaming events. Provides on-site catering and full bar with Aviator beer and Gold Leaf cocktails.
• Keg Sales Direct keg sales of all Aviator beers at the brewery. Available at 688 Brewing Dr. daily 11:30am-10pm (full selection) and at the BeerShop (limited selection). Includes core beers and seasonal releases in Big Keg (13.2 GAL) and Sixtel Keg (5.17 GAL) formats. Keg deposit of $50 per keg. Pricing varies by beer series (Core, Hangar Series, TakeOff Series, X-Series).
• Aviator Whiskey Bar Whiskey bar at the main new brewery campus featuring Gold Leaf Distilling spirits, open Thursday/Friday/Saturday 5pm-12am.
• Aviator Amphitheater Outdoor entertainment venue at the new brewery campus hosting concerts, festivals, community events, and Cars & Coffee gatherings. Features open-air seating, an outdoor stage, open lawn, and full-service bars with fresh food.
• Catering & Event Services On-site event catering and to-go catering services including pulled pork, smoked wings, and brisket. Hosts weddings, corporate events, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, and game launch events through the Ready Room Bar & Event Space (up to 60 guests) at the Varina Hotel location.
• Aviator Branded Merchandise Aviation-themed branded merchandise sold through the company-operated Shopify e-commerce storefront at aviatorbrew.myshopify.com.
• Online Food Ordering Online ordering for pickup and delivery at Aviator's three locations (Hangar Bar, TapHouse & Kitchen, and Pub & BeerShop) via Toasttab and Chownow platforms.
• Gift Card Balance Lookup Customer-facing gift card balance lookup service via the ToastTab platform (linked to the 209 Technology Park Ln location), letting purchasers verify remaining balances on Aviator gift cards.
• Aviator C-54 Airplane Bar Historic C-54 Skymaster airplane being transformed into an immersive restaurant and bar featuring full-service dining inside the aircraft (seating for 40), an outdoor deck, fire pits, and a massive outdoor bar. Scheduled to open late 2026 as part of the brewery campus expansion.
• Aviator SteakHouse High-energy steakhouse featuring live-fire cooking with a 2000-degree broiler, perfectly seared steaks, custom-blend burgers, fresh seafood, elevated bar snacks, and creative cocktails. Scheduled to open late 2026, rebuilt after the December 2025 fire at Aviator Morning Hangar.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.5 million cans produced by June 2015
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Boston Beer Company: Public craft/malt beverage company (Samuel Adams, Angry Orchard, Truly) operating at substantially larger scale — comparable on craft category and brewery-plus-experiential strategy, but serves as a broader incumbent benchmark rather than a direct local competitor.
• Anheuser-Busch InBev (Craft Division): Global brewing giant that distributes many craft-style brands through its North Carolina wholesaler network — relevant as the broad incumbent setting on-premise and shelf-space dynamics that affect Aviator's retail and draught sales.

Direct peers

• New Belgium Brewing Company: Craft brewery known for flagship IPAs (Fat Tire, Voodoo Ranger), tour-and-tasting destination facilities, and expanded distribution — comparable on craft brewing portfolio depth, taproom experiential model, and distributed retail and draught presence.
• Wicked Weed Brewing: Asheville, NC craft brewery with a destination campus including a taproom, sour house, and full-service restaurant — comparable to Aviator on the multi-venue destination brewery concept within the NC craft market.
• SweetWater Brewing Company: Atlanta-based craft brewer with a destination taproom, well-known IPA lineup, and Southeast US distribution footprint — closely comparable to Aviator as a Southeast craft brewery balancing taproom experience, regional retail distribution, and flagship IPAs.
• Founders Brewing Co. Michigan craft brewery with an award-winning IPA-heavy portfolio (All Day IPA, Centennial IPA) and a large destination taproom — comparable on craft category leadership, event-driven revenue, and iconic flagship SKUs.
• Fullsteam Brewery: Durham, NC craft brewery with an experiential taproom and event-driven GTM — a direct local competitor in the Triangle market, comparable on NC craft positioning, taproom focus, and live-event programming.
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Large, multi-decade American craft brewer with a taproom destination campus in Mills River, NC (Asheville area) and an extensive award-winning IPA and seasonal portfolio — directly comparable to Aviator on craft category, NC regional presence, taproom model, and festival/event programming.
• Trophy Brewing Company: Raleigh, NC craft brewery pairing brewing with a restaurant concept — directly comparable to Aviator on the brewery-plus-foodservice model in the same Triangle NC market.

Regional players

• Live Oak Brewing Company: Austin, Texas craft brewer focused on traditional German lagers and pub-style taprooms — comparable as a craft brewery emphasizing European styles and on-premise hospitality, operating in a different geography from Aviator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/aviatorbrew
• Facebookfacebook.com/AviatorBrewing
• Instagraminstagram.com/aviatorbrewingco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aviator Brewing Company