FW brewery out of business

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Warbird Brewing Company opened its doors to Fort Wayne in October of 2004. Exactly five years later those doors are closing for good.

Warbird's mission was to provide the best beer, in the most attractive packaging, under the most respectful and patriotic brand name in the beer business.

The brewery won a number of awards over the years, but as Founder Dave Holmes says, "Awards don't matter unless they help you sell more beer, and ours did not."

Holmes released this statement today, "Unfortunately, we simply did not sell enough beer profitably to meet our financial obligations."

He went on to say, "The beer business is a very tough business. I learned a lot. I'm sorry to say it. It is game over for Warbird."

Pat White, the voice of WOWO Radio's Pat White Show, is a friend of Holmes.

"He's the guy that literally got me to drinking beer when I quit drinking beer because I like wine," said WOWO's Pat White.

White spent the afternoon inviting people to Pat's Pub for a bottle of Warbird to honor the local brewery.

"There's people out there who have lost their jobs and frankly it's a good product it's too bad people didn't buy it," said White.

Holmes is talking to creditors and customers to quote "discuss what we can do to work things out."

Warbird sold beer in six states.