Web Timeline

When we started on the web in 1995 most folks weren't on line. There was no spam and no illegal file sharing. There was also no Amazon.com and no Netflix. So step way back in time to the end of the last century and see how far we've come from virtual brewery to real brewery to real big (for us) brewery.

1995
  • April - Flying Fish Brewing Company created
  • August - Flying Fish became the 1st “virtual” microbrewery on the web
pioneers original website
1996
XPA
  • April - Moved into building
  • June - Brewing equipment arrived
  • September
    • Released first 2 beers — XPA and ESB (draft only)
    • First e-mail only party held on September 15, 1996
  • October
    • Released Porter as a seasonal (draft only)
    • Purchased bottling line
  • November - Bottled XPA and ESB for the first time
new building
in the brewery
1997
Farmhouse Summer Ale
  • January - Belgian Abbey Dubbel released as a seasonal (draft only)
  • March
    • IPA released as a seasonal (draft only)
    • Michael Jackson visits Flying Fish for the first time
  • June - Farmhouse Summer Ale released (seasonal)
  • September - Bottled Porter and Dubbel for the first time
  • Abbey Dubbel wins bronze medal at the World Beer Championships

Michael Jackson
1998
Grand Cru
  • February - Started using 1/6 kegs (sixtels)
  • March - Released Grand Cru Winter Reserve (seasonal)
  • April - Added new fermenters; increases capacity by 40%
  • May - Prince Albert of Monaco spotted drinking a Flying Fish ESB
  • August
    • Added 2 new fermenters
    • Flying Fish distributes to Outer Banks, NC
  • September - Belgian Abbey Dubbel released in 6-packs
  • October - Big Mouth Billy Bass added to Tasting Room wall.
  • November
    • Big Mouth Billy Bass removed from Tasting Room wall after it drives everyone crazy
    • Dubbel wins gold medal at the Real Ale Festival in Chicago
pioneers original website
1999
Porter
  • January - All Flying Fish beer certified Y2K compliant
  • February - Lovefish — the “Barry White of beers” — is released
  • June - Distribute to Maryland and Washington, DC
  • August
    • Flying Fish beer (Porter and Farmhouse Ale) poured at the Great British Beer Festival
    • Phish has Fish at After-party
  • November - Blackfish released
2000
GBBF
  • April - Blackfish wins a gold medal at the Real Ale Festival in Chicago
  • July - Governor Whitman signs proclamation designating July as American Beer Month in New Jersey
  • November - First Flying Fish truck unveiled

    Flying Fish truck

Real Ale Festival
2001
Mondial de la Biere
  • February - Limited hand-bottling of Grand Cru
  • April - Moonfish lager makes its first and only appearance
  • June - Flying Fish makes their first appearance at Mondial de la Bière, Montreal, Canada
  • July - Flying Fish makes their first appearance at the Oregon Brewer's Festival
  • September - Flying Fish begins distributing to South Central Pennsylvania
  • October
    • Flying Fish Porter voted "Best of Philly" by Philadelphia Magazine
    • Grand Cru Winter Reserve released in 6-packs
  • November - Flying Fish Gift Packs released
  • December - Due to an e-mail glitch, everyone on the mailing list receives 10 copies of the monthly newsletter. Due to an e-mail glitch, everyone on the mailing list receives 10 copies of the monthly newsletter.

gift pack
2002
Business Journal
  • February - New website rolled out
  • May - Flying Fish brews its one millionth gallon
  • June - Flying Fish is named one of South Jersey's fastest growing companies by the Philadelphia Business Journal
  • July - E-mail only party cancelled because of 100+ degree temperatures
  • September - Oktoberfish released (draft only-seasonal) — sells out in two weeks
  • November - Flying Fish starts shipping to Delaware

new website
2003
  • February - Big Fish Barleywine brewed
  • April - First Slow Food New Jersey Brewer's Guild Tasting

Big Fish
2004
Oktoerfish
  • January - Mt. Holly Fire & Ice Festival unveils Flying Fish ice sculpture
  • February - Big Fish Barleywine released
  • April - Flying Fish XPA served at the Phillies' new Citizens Bank ballpark
  • September - Oktoberfish released in bottles (seasonal)
  • October - Flying Fish beers poured at Slow Food Fest in Turin, Italy

ice sculpture
2005
Oregon Brewer's Festival
  • January - HopFish (formerly known as HopPhish**) released (draft only). (**Flying Fish forced to change name of beer after receiving a “nasty gram” from the band Phish. (see August 1999 — Phish had Fish at after-party))
  • February - Add new fermenters - increase capacity by 22%
  • April - Flying Fish Porter included in 7 Threads Symposium Ale, brewed for the 2005 Craft Brewers Conference in Philadelphia
  • May - Vanilla Ice introduced as a draft only specialty event beer
  • June - Flying Fish Pub opens at Campbell's Field - home of the Camden Riversharks baseball team
  • September - Flying Fish on schedule to brew the most beer ever brewed in a one month period since the brewery opened
7 Threads Symposium Ale
Flying Fish Pub