Craft beer taproom coming to former Castle Air Force Base

ATWATER, Calif. (KFSN) -- Before long, visitors at the former Castle Air Force Base in Atwater will be able to get a beer during their time there.

"We want to be a destination," said Tyler Lucas, part-owner of Blaker Brewing. "The fact that there was already a landmark that was considered a destination and a historical spot just made it all the better."

The craft brew company out of Ceres (near Modesto) will be expanding to the old Castle Air Force Base in Atwater. The taproom will be built into an old service station just inside the entrance to the base, not far from Castle Air Museum, and will be called "The Tarmac."

Blaker Brewing has 16 beers on tap at their Ceres location and is looking to bring 12 to Atwater. They also plan to include taps that pay homage to the base's rich history.

"Like I think that would be awesome if people were in there drinking beer, talking about the history of the base," Lucas said. "We don't want to strip that at all, we want to play on top of that."

Lucas expects the taproom to have a capacity of 99 people inside and an additional 60 outside. There will be two patios, including one that can be used for private parties.

The Air Force base was closed in 1995, but the base still houses an operating airport and a museum honoring the history of the base.

The Tarmac is currently slated for a mid-October opening. Although the taproom will be on the former grounds of the base and will be close to the museum, the parcel of land it will sit on is private and no longer owned by Castle Airport.

You can follow along with the progress of The Tarmac on Instagram and on Facebook.