Exploring Events

Spirits That Soar

Story and photography by Cheré Coen

Flyway Brewing in North Little Rock produces unique beers, but also incorporates some into refreshing summer cocktails at its sister restaurant, Brood and Barley.

North Little Rock owns a unique history. A masked man named Shadow Vision walks the streets in costume, the Trail of Tears once ran through Main Street, and people fight over whether to use the moniker “Dogtown.” One theory for the long-running nickname is that, years ago, folks in the capital city across the river rounded up their stray dogs, crossed the Main Street Bridge from Little Rock, and let the pooches loose on the other side. Naturally, the folks in North Little Rock were not pleased, but they adjusted. “The citizens of North Little Rock fed [the dogs that were dumped] and adopted them, and the name ‘dogtown’ was bestowed on North Little Rock,” wrote John Cook in the 1985 winter edition of the Pulaski County Historical Quarterly. Some North Little Rock residents embrace the nickname — as does the city, which is home to an array of dogfriendly establishments, parks, trails, and the “Dogtown Proud” mural. Others see it as fighting words. Whatever the side they choose, most agree that North Little Rock has turned into quite a happening little city, with great restaurants, theater, and events occurring in its quaint downtown area. Take Flyway Brewing, for instance, a brewery that doubles as a community gathering place with a chance to sample beers made on spot along with fun food items such as cheddar bomb sliders and gator nachos. Their eclectic menu drew the attention of Guy Fieri and his Food Network show, “Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives,” spotlighting Flyway’s scratch pretzels and their gumbo cheese fries. Flyway gets its name from the Mississippi Flyway, a migratory bird trail that flows through Arkansas. The brewery’s new mural, painted by artist Robin Tucker during the pandemic, features a variety of birds including teals, mallards, and bluewings since nearby Stuttgart is known as the rice and duck capital of the world. The owners of Flyway’s had such good luck with their menu and beer, they recently opened Brood and Barley down the street. The following Further Southern Migration cocktail created by the restaurant’s bar manager David Burnette is loosely based on the classic tequila cocktail, the Paloma. At its center is agave tequila, but the fresh fruit juices and the brewery’s Orange Radler Ale makes it an ideal refreshing summer drink. “If your readers don’t have access to the delicious Brood and Barley Blood Orange Radler Ale, they may try substituting Mexican Squirt (grapefruit drink) in its place,” Burnette suggests. “I would also recommend using Flyway Bluewing beer which is available in cans all over Arkansas.”

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Further Southern Migration 1 1/2 ounces 100 percent Agave Blanco Tequila 1 ounce fresh grapefruit juice 2/3 ounce simple syrup (1:1 ratio sugar to water by volume) 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice 2 ounces Brood and Barley Blood Orange Radler Ale (floated) Pinch of coarse salt Lime wheel

Directions: Combine first four ingredients in a shaker over ice. Shake, and strain into a tall Collins glass. Fill almost to the top with fresh ice. Top with 2 ounces of Brood and Barley Blood Orange Radler Ale. Garnish with lime wheel sprinkled with coarse salt.

DeSoto Editor Cheré Coen recently returned from a trip to North Little Rock where she enjoyed kayaking and hiking but then cooled off with Flyway’s finest.