Wingman Brewers

another hidden gem in the tacoma beer scene, not much hype around these guys from what i gather, but i had a great time here, enjoyed the space, and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the beer, really innovative and well executed, but we only had time for a couple in here. i like the blue collar vibe of a true working brewery, which this place certainly is. an old brick space downtown long and narrow with pallets of can bodies stacked up in the front among the tables because there is nowhere else for them to be. a chalkboard menu, ordering at the end of the long bar with no seating at it due to the pandemic, very limited capacity in here, modest selection but some cool choices. we found a barrel with a couple of stools around it and hung out next to a vintage arcade game, a loose airmen vintage military theme in here, not overdone, kind of cool, mellow, low key space overall, tiny really, although the brewery itself isnt all that small in the back it doesnt appear. we had a raspberry packed berliner type, and a locally roasted coffee lager, both really good, distinctive, modern, and unique enough to be memorable. i wish we carved out a little more time to drink through some of the others, they really did have some pretty cool stuff on the board. service was fine, nothing special just order, pour, pay, say thanks, unremarkable but no issues. this place was a nice surprise, definitely under the local radar it seems, but not for long if they keep it up. i did not see food in here, but i also wasnt looking. prices were fair, vibe was rad, definitely had a good time in here and will be back when i am in town next. do not sleep on these guys!

 

 

Visited 10/28/2016 2:00 pm not a lot of people
looks very much like a brewery, not a lot of furniture
attentive service
good value
a lot of selection
overall very good

Walking to the city center from the Amtrak station allowed me to put Wingman Brewers onto my beer hunt, thanks to its convenient location and the fact that I would be returning to the same area later in the day. Jetting out from a mainly industrial complex, Wingman's interior feels like walking into someone's garage with malt bags on the floor, cans ready for shipment, and a hand written beer menu.

Seven different beers on the menu, and that included an IPA, porter, and two different goses. While both goses were nothing spectacular, at least Wingman incorporated chalices with its name on the glass for the pours, better than the common shaker pint. Quick service at the bar, feeling touch and go, and so was I, knowing that my time at Wingman my limited because of the train I needed to take back to Seattle.

Worth a visit? If you're planning a day-trip on train to Tacoma, it may be worth looking at, because it will be on route.

 

 

 

 

They dont serve food here, but bring in local food vendors to cover that problem regularly. They have a wide selection of their beer on tap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A: Showed up for the Grand Opening of the new taproom which is located across the street from the bus stop and parking garage for the Sounder train. The location is genius. If they work it right they can be the afterwork beer destination for thousands of people who arrive at the bus/train stations in the evenings after a long days work and ride home. I know if I were still taking the train I wuld be walking across the street before I ventured home. As far as the local inside it is rather spacey and raw. Plenty of space for them to grow. Very much an emptied out warehouse. The front door is a garage door which can be opened/closed depending upon the weather. Inside is a long odd/U shaped bar. Starting at the bar and working its way around to the back wall. It was very busy on this day. I can see seating will need to be expanded as it was standing room only on much of the time I was there. I went back for the IIPA release and it was less and stuck around for awhile.

Q: The Wingman beers I have had to date range from poor, average and fair.

S: The guys all seemed nice enough and all seemed to be enjoying what they do

S: If I recall there eight to ten handles ond a randall on this day. Everything from IPA's, Porters and a Dubbel. Not bad for a new opening and new brewery.

F: No food here but Barrel 51 BBQ? is now operating outside. I wish these guys luck.

I love this place. I love the whole in a warehouse feel that this brewery brings. I know its not big and elaborate like the big breweries in this area, but this place has a lot of character, good beer and very friendly service.

They are a pretty new brewery so the selection isn't huge yet, but they have 8 beers or so on tap. Which is just perfect for the size of the brewery.

There is no food, but several places around deliver. All the beers are reasonably priced (I believe it was 3 or 4 per pint.) And all of the beers taste great.