New brewery announcements all around Arkansas have become pretty common in the past couple of years, but the latest group to declare intentions is anything but the norm. Beer lovers and friends Joe Bartsch, Jared Davis, Jay Ragsdale, Eric Sorrells and Matt Crockett have started a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds and are in the early planning stages for their brainchild, Viking-themed Blood Eagle Brewing.
A quick glance at their Facebook or Kickstarter pages is a glimpse into of a world of Vikings, bikes, tattoos, comic books, heavy metal and yes, beer. Joe Bartsch tells me they wanted to give beer drinkers something different for a choice and it’s evident not just in their image but hopefully in the beer itself. They don’t just want to offer some things a bit outside of the box, but take a hammer and smash the box to bits. On everything from the types of beers they’ll make to the names of beers and artwork, they want to put their unique stamp from their passions other than beer.
The artwork and image go hand-in-hand with the beer they plan to share, from the beer labels, names and logos to even a comic book they’re currently working on called “The Beerzerkers,” which is a light-hearted look at their adventures.
Blood Eagle hopes to raise enough funds to bring a brewery and taproom to the Little Rock area and have already scouted several locations out so far, but nothing has been decided yet. Downtown Little Rock/North Little Rock seems to be the likely candidates as this point.
The last day to donate to the Kickstarter fund is June 24th. They’re hoping to generate $15,000 from it and at nearly the halfway mark they’ve raised close to $6,000.
Just before the Kickstart campaign expires, look for a sampling at a yet to be determined location on June 19th where they’ll have their Valkyrie Pale Ale, Thunder God Double IPA and Tone Loki Farmhouse Ale available for you to get a taste of what you might be supporting and meet the Beerzerkers in person. Watch their Facebook page for details.