Ornery Brewery set the tone for brew pubs in Prince William

Prince William Beer Trail

Editors note: This is the third in a series of posts showcasing breweries in Prince William County, Virginia.

Prince William County’s first brewpub just did something every brewery wants to do: Distribute its beer on the wholesale market to local restaurants.

Now diners in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. can enjoy a cold glass of beer from Ornery Beer Company in Woodbridge. The brewpub — a combination brewery and restaurant with a chef-driven menu — opened near Potomac Mills in 2015.

“When we starting thinking about this business, this county didn’t have a brewpub. It had a brewery or two but not a brewpub that served delicious beer and food,” said Ornery Brewery owner Randy Barnette, of Gainesville.

Barnette was an investor in a brewpub in Falls Church and thought he could bring the same quality product to Prince William County. Before Ornery, Barnette operated the Hard Times Cafe in Woodbridge for 15 years. That restaurant had run its course, he said, and Barnette gave the space an complete overhaul before opening Ornery Brewery.

Barnette knew how to run a restaurant, so he hired master brewer Chris Jacques to create Ornery’s 15 signature beer flavors. The brewpub serves everything from dark and beers to IPAs — just about anything a craft beer enthusiast would expect to find at a small brewery.

Last October, he promoted Ferdinand McAdoo to the position of head brewer, who has been Ornery since its opening.

A favorite of restaurant goers is Ornery’s Blonde Ale, a light beer that pairs well with just about anything.

“Prince William County has a very, very diverse demographic and our beers have to be very, very diverse,” explained Barnette. “We’re not as defined in our types of beer as you might see in some other places.”