We’ve been visiting Medford, Oregon for years, variously exploring the Southern Oregon brewery and winery scene, and this past July finally visited the city’s original brewery, Walkabout Brewing Company. Established in 1997 by Australian native Ross Litton, the brewery spent 14 years in Litton’s garage before moving into its current location in northwest Medford in 2011.

The brewery produces roughly 1,000 barrels per year, and is probably best known for its flagship, Worker’s Pale Ale. Worker’s Pale is everywhere in Medford that I’ve seen—if the establishment serves beer, Worker’s Pale is on tap.

At Walkabout itself you’ll find seven beers on tap covering a gamut of styles. The brewery is a bit out of the way, on the northwest edge of town amidst an industrial park. Across the street (conveniently) is Western Beverage, Walkabout’s distributor (update: I got that wrong).

The brewpub space itself has a bit of an industrial feel to it, and inside you’ll find a comfortable space with large communal wood tables, some with inlaid designs hinting at aboriginal origins. The bar is accented with corrugated sheet metal, including an overhanging hood, the overall effect of which (to my mind, at least) is to resemble a shack in the Australian Outback.

I ordered up the taster tray, which is boomerang-shaped (plus the seventh beer on the side). Here are my notes on the beers:

• Aussie Gold – 26 IBUs – 5.3% ABV
  Crisp, cool, bracing bitterness for the style. Clean, light hop woodiness.
• GFA – Gluten-Free Ale – 32 IBUs – 5.4% ABV
  Uses enzymes process apparently. Decent with earthy hop bitterness and kind of an amber/brown malt character. Light hop astringency in finish. [Note: the gluten level is “below the gluten free standard of 20ppm.”]
• Worker’s Pale – 39 IBUs – 5.5% ABV
  Classic American pale ale, the workhorse (pun sort-of intended) of Southern Oregon. Nicely hoppy with a good malt base.
• Jabberwocky Strong Ale – 35 IBUs – 7.0% ABV
  [The first beer Walkabout ever brewed.] Malty and rich with molasses, caramel, toffee, dark dried fruit. Winter Warmer-esque. English hop character. Tasty and chewy.
• Platypus Porter – 40 IBUs – 6.0% ABV
  Good; coffee, chocolate, licorice. Well-balanced with roasted malts and finishes smooth.
• Ripper IPA – 58 IBUs – 6.7% ABV
  Very nice, great hop flavor with a balance of the clean, lighter malts.
• Bloody Hell Red IPA – 70 IBUs – 6.6% ABV
  Smooth, with a toasty malt tempered by a gentle hop/floral/herbal note, which lingers pleasantly into the aftertaste.

All around, solid, well brewed and nicely balanced beers, which is made all the more impressive considering that much of the brewery itself is a bit of a Frankenstein system, “home” built and DIY. We were lucky enough to be there when Cameron Litton, Ross’s son who also works at the brewery, was on hand and we struck up a conversation. Cameron offered to show us the brewery on an impromptu tour.

Now, when I say “Frankenstein system” to describe the brewery, I actually mean that in the best way—what Walkabout has had to work with and what the Littons have been able to accomplish is pretty remarkable. Among some of the behind-the-scenes details:

• When Southern Oregon Brewing closed several years back, Walkabout acquired some of its equipment.
• One of Walkabout’s original fermenters was square, and a nightmare to clean. That fermenter went to Chetco Brewing in Brookings when the SOB equipment came in.
• Mash tun and kettle are paneled in wood to help insulate them.
• Who needs modern control panels? There’s an manual gauge-and-valve assembly that looks fairly steampunk (along with the wood paneled brewdeck).
• There probably will not be a hazy IPA anytime soon.

Now, for being in a remote, industrial part of town, we weren’t sure what to expect beyond the brewpub/bar itself. But out the side door, which I thought led to parking, we were pleasantly surprised with a large patio and expansive lawn space, complete with firepit, picnic tables, hops, and more. Bands will play live music and food trucks will pull up outside and the spot is a popular hangout; Cameron said the patio and lawn are half-jokingly called “Crux Lite” (referencing Bend’s Crux Fermentation Project and its large patio and lawn space).

Our visit coincided with the wildfires and some of the worst air quality we’ve encountered, so we didn’t linger outside. But on clear summer days, this patio would definitely be a great place to enjoy a few beers.

Overall I was quite impressed, from the solid beers and “Outback beer joint” feel to the DIY-styled brewery which impressed me (quality and consistency coming out of there). This is definitely a must-visit if you’re in the Medford/general Southern Oregon area. There’s no kitchen—expect food trucks if anything—but you’ll experience a wider variety of Walkabout’s beers than you’ll likely find outside of the region.

Recommended!

Walkabout Brewing
921 Mason Way
Medford, OR 97501
(541) 734-4677