Over the Odds

Brewing Community with Craft

Words by Chris Ferguson Photos By Shelby Bella

As Austin’s bars and restaurants have had to get creative to weather the storm of COVID-19, local brewpub Oddwood Ales has been uplifted by the neighborhood community they have cultivated since opening in 2018.

It’s an odd time to visit Oddwood Ales, yet a quick glance around the eclectic and cozy taproom reveals a scene that has played out in bars and restaurants across the country since the COVID-19 crisis forced establishments to shutter indefinitely.

A pared down staff of three work diligently to process to-go orders that trickle in through the website. The whimsical taproom, typically packed with regulars, now hosts beer, merchandise, labels, and kitchenware that sit in neat piles atop thick, hardwood tables. The staff wears masks and maintains a six-foot proximity to one another. Signs on the front doors instruct guests to queue responsibly outside while waiting to pick up orders.

Despite a scene that would be hard to imagine a few months ago, owners Brett and Taylor Ziebarth are upbeat, smiling with their eyes behind their colorful cloth masks.

“We’re generally doing well,” Taylor says as he plucks a bottle of Acid Western from a cardboard case. “It helps that we’ve kept our operation small and neighborhood-focused. Our regulars have been supportive, so we haven’t seen our revenue drop too much, and we’ve been able to retain our staff.”

In Austin’s crowded brewing landscape, the focus on quality and community has paid off. Two years since opening their location (after honing their craft at another brewery), the brothers’ ambition to maintain a relaxed, family-oriented “neighborhood joint” that just wants to serve up unique brews and simple, satisfying food has earned Oddwood Ales a loyalty that’s palpable, especially now.

“Everyone on board has been here since the beginning. We operate like a big family, and we’ve all grown together over the past two years,” notes Brett.

Already having a to-go infrastructure in place for food orders has also given the team a leg-up in tweaking their operations to accommodate social distancing.

Taylor adds, “We actually teed-up a good amount of beers for the Fourth of July holiday, so we had a good lineup that we could release quickly. Instead of those beers being on the draught walls, they’re now going to be in cans and growlers.”

Safely at home, Taylor’s gifted bottle of Acid Western delights the taste buds. At the bottom of its back label (also designed in-house), a coincidentally poignant note:

“The quest to get there is fraught and somewhat unknown. But, that’s what it’s about.”

Did You Know:

Located off Airport Blvd. and Manor Rd., its location is rich with old-Austin history, notably featured dramatically exploding in the 2010 film Machete.