New craft beer takes flight for pair of air traffic controllers

Two air traffic controllers from New Brunswick, who call themselves the two Serges, have launched a new brand of craft beer now available in NB Liquor stores. And yes, sales are taking flight.

Serge Nadeau and Serge Basque launched their brand a year and a half ago, and began by selling their beer at local pubs from a garage in Dieppe, N.B.

READ: Bottoms up! Craft beer is a tourist draw in New Brunswick’s capital

The two air traffic controllers have always had a passion for brew.

“I have always visited microbreweries everywhere I go on trips. There is always a side trip to visit a brewery or micro-brewery,” said Nadeau.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I have always visited microbreweries everywhere I go on trips. There is always a side trip to visit a brewery or micro-brewery," said Nadeau.

After years of dreaming about making their own brew, the two Serges decided to hop on board the growing craft beer market in New Brunswick.

In between shifts guiding planes through the skies at the air traffic control centre in Riverview, they brew up batches of various beers from their small in-home facility.

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“This is our pilot system here. This is not to brew a lot of beer,” said Basque.

READ: Halifax Tragically Hip fan’s artwork raises money for cancer research, to be featured on tribute beer

But now that sales are taking off, it appears as though the sky is the limit for these two.

Since their light brew called Legers’ Corner hit the liquor stores two weeks ago, sales are soaring. The two Serges are now planning to open up their own brewery and bar this summer.

They’ve already bought the building and are working on perfecting new brews, some of which reflect their love of aviation.

“The darker beer. the stout, is called Foxtrot 33,” said Basque, which is air traffic controller lingo for the letter F.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The darker beer. the stout, is called Foxtrot 33," said Basque, which is air traffic controller lingo for the letter F.

Their approach is to be cautious and not grow too quickly.

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1:55 Maritimes experiencing a local beer boom

“We are going to start locally in Moncton and then New Brunswick and we will see in a few years if we need to go bigger,” Basque said.

Neither Serge is planning to quit his day job at the flight screens just yet, but in the long haul, that is the goal.

For now, they say they are just grateful to be realizing a dream come true and will raise a glass to the future. (In their downtime of course, because pre-shift tastings are not allowed, says Nadeau.)

“Air traffic controllers cannot consume alcohol eight hours before a shift,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Air traffic controllers cannot consume alcohol eight hours before a shift," he said.