• Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Beer Info

Beer News, Beer Releases and New Breweries

  • Home
  • Top 10 Beers
    • Ales
    • Lagers
    • Barrel Aged
    • Hybrid
    • Specialty
  • GABF
    • 2021 GABF
    • 2020 GABF
    • 2019 GABF
    • 2018 GABF
    • 2017 GABF
    • 2016 GABF
    • 2015 GABF
    • 2014 GABF
    • 2013 GABF
    • 2012 GABF
    • 2011 GABF
    • 2010 GABF
    • 1987 GABF
  • World Beer Cup
    • 2022 World Beer Cup
    • 2018 World Beer Cup
    • 2016 World Beer Cup
    • 2014 World Beer Cup
    • 2012 World Beer Cup
    • 2010 World Beer Cup
    • 2008 World Beer Cup
    • 2006 World Beer Cup
    • 2004 World Beer Cup
    • 2002 World Beer Cup
    • 2000 World Beer Cup
    • 1998 World Beer Cup
    • 1996 World Beer cup
  • U.S. Open
    • 2022 U.S. Open
    • 2021 U.S. Open
    • 2020 U.S. Open
    • 2019 U.S. Open
    • 2018 U.S. Open
    • 2017 U.S. Open
    • 2016 U.S. Open
    • 2015 U.S. Open
    • 2014 U.S. Open
    • 2013 U.S. Open
    • 2012 U.S. Open
    • 2011 U.S. Open
    • 2010 U.S. Open
    • 2009 U.S. Open
  • U.S. Open Cider
    • 2021 U.S. Open Cider
    • 2020 U.S. Open Cider
    • 2019 U.S. Open Cider
    • 2018 U.S. Open Cider
    • 2017 U.S. Open Cider
    • 2016 U.S. Open Cider
    • 2015 U.S. Open Cider
  • U.S. Open College
    • 2021 U.S. Open College
    • 2019 U.S. Open College
    • 2018 U.S. Open College
    • 2017 U.S. Open College
    • 2016 U.S. Open College
  • More
    • Craft Beer Releases
    • Schools
      • United States
      • Canada
      • Europe
    • Writers
      • Edwin Arnaudin
        • Zebulon Artisan Ales
        • Highland Brewing
      • Morgan Forsyth
      • Paul Leone
      • Austin Foster
      • Anne-Fitten Glenn
    • Books
      • Starting a Brewery
      • Homebrew
      • History
      • Fun & Games
    • Fun Facts

Calwise Spirits and Firestone Walker Unveil Old Tom Big Sur Gin

December 8, 2022 by Dustin Scoggins

Calwise SpiritsPaso Robles, CA: Calwise Spirits and Firestone Walker Brewing Company today unveiled “Old Tom Big Sur Gin”—a brewery-inspired riff on the distillery’s signature Big Sur Gin.

“This was an opportunity to elevate the Big Sur Gin experience with ingredients and input from an iconic California brewery,” said Calwise Master Distiller Aaron Bergh. “Old Tom Big Sur Gin reflects a meeting of the minds, with grapes, grains and botanicals coming together to create a gin like no other.”

Located just a mile from the Calwise Spirits distillery in Paso Robles, Firestone Walker proved to be a fitting partner when Bergh came knocking. “Aaron is our neighbor and we’ve always admired his creations, so it was a natural collaboration,” said Firestone Walker’s Chief Operating Officer Nick Firestone. “We’ve been working with spirits barrels for nearly 20 years to create our barrel-aged strong ales, and we see this as an extension of that tradition.”

In addition to the main Old Tom Big Sur Gin, Calwise also released a separate “Rested in Oak” edition, which was matured for three months in American oak barrels inherited from Firestone Walker’s Double Barrel fermentation program. The moniker “Old Tom” is a nod to the original 18th century British gins known by that name, and to the English heritage of brewery co-founder David Walker.

Flavors of California

To help create “Old Tom” Big Sur Gin, Firestone Walker generated a mash of traditional brewing grains with a complement of wine grape juice, all fermented with native yeast and bacteria. This base was then distilled by Calwise, imparting a unique imprint into the flavor profile of the original Big Sur Gin.

Then, in the established Big Sur Gin fashion, Bergh infused the gin with organic wild herbs that are largely native to California’s iconic Big Sur coastline, including white sage, yerba santa, bay, fennel and elderberry as well as the essential juniper.

“We also enhanced the traditional recipe by including botanicals such as coriander and orange peel, which were suggested by Brewmaster Matt Brynildson,” Bergh said. “We added rose petal as an ode to David Walker’s British roots.”

Bergh worked with Brynildson, Sensory Research Analyst Craig Thomas and the Firestone Walker brewing team to create the mash, acquire the right barrels and guide both versions of Old Tom Big Sur Gin to fruition.

The resulting gins provide both common and contrasting qualities. The main version of “Old Tom” Big Sur gin is fragrant and elegant, while the version matured in DBA barrels has a richer, almost whiskey-like color and taste.

Master distiller Aaron Bergh was destined for this adventure. During Prohibition, the Feds shut down his family’s moonshining operation—but not for very long. A century later, the law came knocking again, because the college authorities didn’t appreciate Aaron making hooch in his dorm. Calwise Spirits is Aaron’s ode to this renegade heritage, and a nod to his homeland of coastal California. Now established as one of the youngest master distillers in the world, he has created a line of premium spirits that embody the essence of the Golden State, infusing them with native ingredients that provide a pure taste of liquid California. Visit CalwiseSpirits.com.

Founded by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker in 1996, Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a California beer company with three innovative brewing facilities. Firestone Walker’s main brewery in Paso Robles produces a diverse portfolio ranging from iconic pale ales to vintage barrel-aged beers. The Barrelworks facility in Buellton makes eccentric wild ales, while the Propagator pilot brewhouse in Venice specializes in R&D beers and limited local offerings. Firestone Walker is also the brewery behind 805, one of the nation’s fastest-growing beers. Firestone Walker was recently named “Best American Brewery of the Decade” by Paste Magazine.

For Brewing fun facts, trivia, movies and more, Click Here.

Filed Under: Beer, craftbeer

Primary Sidebar

Follow us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

2022 U.S. Open Beer Championship  
Medal Winners

 
2021 U.S. Open Cider & Beverage Championship  
Medal Winners

Archives

  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017

Copyright © 2023 · BeerInfo.com. All Rights Reserved.