Loudoun County’s newest brewery will be a family affair. Chris Burns and his wife, with his father Graham Burns and mother Mary, expect to launch Old Ox Brewery later this year from an Ashburn industrial space.
The deal to purchase 44652 Guilford Drive Units 101-105 is in a 60-day due diligence period. It should close soon, Graham said, and “we should be brewing beer by September.” The space will include a tasting room.
Graham, a dedicated home brewer, said the business is a “family dream.”
“The hobby became an obsession and now a livelihood, we hope,” Chris told me.
The initial products will include a flagship IPA, a porter and a “nice light German-style Kolsch,” Chris said.
“Our focus is on simplicity and quality,” he said. “That doesn’t limit us to a particular style. What we find is that a lot of beers in the market right now are incredibly complex and tasty, but can become unapproachable.”
The Burns family chose the name Old Ox months ago as they eyed a piece of property in the Dulles Trade Center on Old Ox Road. That deal fell apart, but they liked the name so much, they decided to keep it.
Old Ox will join a growing list of Loudoun breweries — Corcoran Brewing Co., Lost Rhino Brewing Co., Mad Horse Brewpub, Sweetwater Tavern and Vintage 50 Restaurant & Brew Lounge.
The more the merrier.
