English 
Romanian 
Oriel Beer Craft Brewery
“What would you like to do when you grow up?”
As a kid, Laurentiu Mandrila never answered with something beer-related. But you never know what your future may bring you as an adult. Just follow your path and enjoy the ride.
The story of Oriel goes back to 2010 when curiosity met passion. Laurentiu, alongside his co-founder, discovered a shared passion for Belgian-style beers like Orval, Rochefort, and other Trappists. They decided to brew beer as a hobby. For five years, Oriel, back then Uriel, went through all the stages of amateur brewing, from beer kits in a can to partial mash beers, all-grain beers, and even wood barrel-aged beers. Twenty liters of beer, the same recipes brewed and improved over time, and out of nowhere, recognition appeared. The amateur beers began to win prizes at important competitions all over Europe, in countries like Romania, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Bulgaria.
Then arose the question “What if?”
Laurentiu Mandrila, with a background in music production, DJing, and a diploma in management, began to lay the foundations of a microbrewery. In 2015, Laurentiu, together with his co-founder, decided to register Oriel as a trademark and began to build from scratch what would become the future Oriel microbrewery. They navigated the challenges of establishing the brand and bringing their unique brews to market, each contributing their expertise and dedication to the craft.
The inspiration for the name came from the seven archangels, with Uriel being one of them. Whether one is a believer or an atheist, Oriel symbolizes guidance, patience, and creativity. Uriel, the archangel of light, wisdom, illumination, and the sun, is a patron of arts and science, known for his ability to inspire. He inspired Laurentiu in crafting extraordinary beers.
Since the end of 2017, Oriel has been proud to be an independent brewery, brewing small-scale batches of unique beers and creating an enticing experience for all those eager to discover the world of craft, artisanal beer. At the conclusion of 2024, the other co-founder formally decided to exit the project, leaving Laurentiu as the sole operator of the brewery.
The Equipment
From the 20 liters amateur all-in-one kettle, the brewery is proud to use in the present times a 500-liter kettle for its brewing days. The entire equipment was produced in Europe and purchased brand new, establishing a quality model for all the brewed beers.
500 L lauter tun – Plevnik – SI
208 L hot liquor tank – Blichmann – USA
2 x 750 L fermentation tanks – Speidel – DE
1000 L bottling tank – Speidel – DE
Cooling group Chilly 35 – Kreyer – DE
2 x Centrifugal pumps – B-Tech – SE
Wort chiller SST – 1000 l/h – ELMEGA – ES
Malt mill 200 kg/h – Engl Maschinen – DE
Pneumatic crown capper – Pillan – IT
