Paso Robles, California: Two Central Coast originals are making noise this fall with the limited release of Electric Eagle, a West Coast IPA brewed by Firestone Walker in collaboration with legendary guitar string maker Ernie Ball.
The kinship between Firestone Walker and Ernie Ball goes back years, rooted in a mutual appreciation for great music and beer. True to form, Electric Eagle is a future-forward IPA bursting with hop flavor and West Coast attitude. Electric Eagle is available for a limited time in four-packs (16-oz cans) at all Firestone Walker locations in Paso Robles, Buellton and Venice, and on draft at select Central Coast accounts.
“We’re not just beer lovers at Firestone Walker—we’re also avid musicians and music fans,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “It’s why we’re stoked to partner with our friends at Ernie Ball, located down the road in San Luis Obispo, to create this limited-release collaborative beer.”
Ernie Ball, the world’s leading manufacturer of strings and accessories, has been making high-quality electric guitar and bass strings since 1962. World-class players like Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Slash, Jimmy Page, and Buddy Guy have all played Ernie Ball strings to create their unique sound.
Like Firestone Walker, Ernie Ball maintains deep roots on California’s Central Coast. Founded in Southern California in 1962 by namesake musician and innovator Ernie Ball, the company moved to San Luis Obispo in 1979. “As fellow 805 natives, we take immense pride in our roots and the rich culture of craftsmanship that this region embodies,” said Brian Ball, CEO at Ernie Ball Music Man. “This collaboration is not just about creating a great beer; it’s about celebrating the artistry and passion that both Ernie Ball and Firestone Walker bring to our respective crafts.”
Electric Style Meets Explosive Flavor
With input from their friends at Ernie Ball, the Firestone Walker brewing team pulled out all of the stops to infuse Electric Eagle with explosive hop character in a progressive West Coast IPA style.
“We used a mix state-of-the-art hop formats for high aroma and flavor impact, including traditional hop pellets, lupulin-rich Cryo hops for pure aromatic character, and Incognito hop extract for a clean bitterness and punchy flavor boost,” said Sam Tierney, brewery manager at Firestone Walker’s Propagator R&D brewhouse in Venice, where Electric Eagle was brewed.
Electric Eagle features of mix of Pacific Northwest and Southern Hemisphere hop varieties, including Simcoe, Mosaic, Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin. “Mosaic sets the tone in the dry hop with a classic West Coast profile of citrus, peach, berry fruit and dankness, while the Riwaka and Nelson hops layer in these classic Southern Hemisphere notes of tropical fruits and white grape,” Tierney said.
Firestone Walker Brewing
Founded in 1996 by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker, Firestone Walker is a second-generation, family-led brewery based on California’s Central Coast. Helmed by highly decorated Brewmaster Matt Brynildson, Firestone Walker’s main brewery in Paso Robles produces a diverse portfolio including 805, California’s #1 craft beer brand; Mind Haze, a top 5 national hazy IPA; and Cali Squeeze, one of the nation’s fastest-growing beer brands. The Firestone brand family also includes iconic beers such as DBA, Union Jack, and Pivo Pils, as well as the storied Vintage Series of barrel-aged strong ales led by Parabola. As a California beer company, Firestone Walker also has two additional locations: the Barrelworks wild ale cellar in Santa Barbara County and the Propagator R&D brewhouse in Venice. Firestone Walker was recently named “Best American Brewery of the Decade” by Paste Magazine. More at 805beer.com and FirestoneWalker.com