Another Award-Winning Brewer Joins Fast Friends Beer Company

Luke Wortendyke Assumes Fast Friends Head Brewer Role

Luke Wortendyke: Fast Friends Head Brewer

Luke Wortendyke, former Head Brewer at Wren House Brewing Company, has joined Fast Friends as its Head Brewer.

Luke developed a deep-rooted fascination with brewing and all things fermentation at a fairly young age while homebrewing with his dad. Working at a beer bar in his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, quickly launched him into a full-blown obsession with crafting tasty beers from seemingly simple ingredients. Shortly thereafter, Luke heard of a new brewery opening nearby and so began his career at Wren House Brewing Company. 

Luke worked at Wren House starting in 2015, helping with all aspects of producing beer on a 10-barrel system. In a few years, Luke worked his way up to the Lead Brewer position, and finally, the Head Brewer position overseeing Wren House's 10-barrel brewing facility in Phoenix and its 30-barrel production facility in Prescott. Along the way, Luke's recipes received a silver medal at GABF in 2019 in the American Lager category, a gold medal at GABF in 2020 in the Hazy IPA category, and a gold medal at GABF in 2022 in the German-Style Oktoberfest category.

"We are beyond excited that Luke agreed to join our team as Head Brewer. He is incredibly talented at his craft, and a fantastic addition to the team," said Keith Shaw, Director of Brewing Operations. "Through his experience at Wren House, and constant thirst for brewing knowledge, he will help us create beer and other craft beverages for every palette at our home in South Austin. From ESBs to European and Mexican Lagers to IPAs, Luke has done it all and I can't wait to start brewing some magical recipes together."

"I am passionate about making the highest quality beer possible. I truly believe that the community-driven and purpose-driven brewpub model is the future of our industry," said Luke Wortendyke. "The ability to bring our community together and create a sense of belonging is really important to me. The Fast Friends foundation and ethos were a huge reason for joining the team. It also helped that 30 seconds into our first conversation it was clear that Keith and I had a similar view on brewing beverages for every palette. We cannot wait to get these fermentors filled for you all!"

Fermentor filling starts soon.     

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Fast Friends Beer Company is a brewpub built on the foundation of inspiring people to DO/good, LOVE/big, and LIVE/now. We aspire to be a beacon of positivity and a happy place for human connection. Construction is nearing completion on a 3.35-acre hill country oasis hidden just off I-35 in South Austin. We are currently searching for a Kitchen Manager to lead our culinary team. Hiring for our front-of-house and kitchen team will begin in Oct. 2022.

Source: Fast Friends Beer Company

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About Fast Friends Beer Company

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Fast Friends Beer Company is a brewpub built on the foundation of inspiring people to DO/good, LOVE/big, and LIVE/now. We aspire to be a beacon of positivity and a happy place for human connection over good food and good beer.

Fast Friends Beer Company
7313 S IH35 Service Road NB
Austin, TX 78744