Orf Brewing
Location: 4700 Burleson Road, Unit F Austin, TX 78744
Currently open weekly on Saturdays 2 to 5pm, with events featuring special entertainment happening roughly once a month
“Beer is the overlap of chemistry and fun,” per Chris Orf, founder of Orf Brewing. A chemist by training, but a comedian at heart, Orf’s goal in launching his brewery was to create “a fun community of beer lovers and people who like to laugh.” Just celebrated their first anniversary in February and already having won several awards (including Austin Beer Guide’s “Best New Beer of 2017”), Orf is well on his way toward making that dream a reality.
Orf did the majority of the construction of the brewery himself, taking 8 months of demolition and 14 months of building to finally launch with his 1.5 barrel “proof of concept” brew system.
This system has produced all of Orf’s offerings so far, but he hopes to soon ramp up production with a new 8.5 barrel system he’s currently installing, and begin canning and bottling some of his beer for local restaurants.
Orf specializes in brewing “American hybrids,” which he describes as “a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, based on what I like.” Oocheenama, Orf’s best selling Asian White Ale, fits this description nicely as a hybrid of Japanese rice lager, Belgian wit, and dry London ale. Spiced with ginger and jasmine, the beer pairs marvelously with various types of Asian cuisine.
Other tap room staples include a Golden American Ale, an India Irish Red Ale, and a Honey Roast beer made with Vienna amber malts. If you look closely at the designs for each label, you’ll notice they all incorporate the image of a beer bottle, a nod to the brewery’s tagline, “Creativity in Ale Forms!”
The tap room features a beautiful beer garden area Orf built to circle the 275-year-old oak tree on the property. Keep a lookout for Orf’s next seasonal release coming mid-April: a tart, malty, and spicy brew made with local loquat fruits.
Learn more about Orf Brewing on their website, and follow them on Facebook to stay in the loop on new releases and upcoming events!
