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Firestone Walker Brewing

Firestone Walker Launches Mind Haze Tropical Hazy Mixed Pack

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PASO ROBLES, California— From the minds behind Mind Haze comes the psychedelic new 2023 edition of the “Mind Haze Tropical Hazy Mixed Pack,” which includes the all-new Mind Haze Tropic Rocket IPA.

With this new mixed pack, Firestone Walker’s Mind Haze IPA experience now includes three spinoffs—Tropic Rocket, Tiki Smash and Citrus Cyclone, all of which feature exotic reinterpretations of the original Mind Haze.

“The Mind Haze canvas lends itself perfectly to different hops, fresh flavors and new ideas,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “This mixed pack gave us the opportunity to get creative and have fun reimagining the flavor possibilities. Each beer is built upon the main Mind Haze recipe, but they also come with their own tropical-inspired twists.”

The Mind Haze Tropical Hazy Mixed Pack is rolling out to all Firestone Walker markets in 12-pack (12-ounce can) formats and is also available at each Firestone Walker location. The Mind Haze Tropical Hazy Mixed Pack features the following three beers:

Mind Haze “Tropic Rocket” IPA

Blast into a psychedelic world of tropical hop flavor with Tropic Rocket—the latest addition to Firestone Walker’s family of Mind Haze IPAs. Tropic Rocket is dry hopped with Galaxy, Strata, Hüll Melon, El Dorado and Sabro, which creates explosive flavors of passionfruit, melon and strawberry. “Galaxy really drives the Southern Hemisphere passionfruit flavors of this beer,” Brynildson said. “Strata is the other star of the show—it’s really distinct from other Pacific Northwest hops, providing a strawberry note that plays well with Galaxy. The name ‘Tropic Rocket’ fits this beer because it’s super loaded with tropical fruit character.”

Mind Haze “Tiki Smash” IPA

Tiki Smash IPA delivers a tiki-inspired flavor combination born of pure hops and freshly toasted coconut. Original Mind Haze hops including Azacca are now joined by Motueka and Sabro hops. The Azacca portion has been increased to amplify the sense of pineapple tropical character, while Sabro delivers its complementary coconut qualities. “We use an elaborate system to introduce freshly toasted coconut for a smooth, subtle extraction,” Brynildson said. “The resulting beer showcases the special synergy of natural coconut with the tropical hop flavors of Mind Haze.”

Mind Haze “Citrus Cyclone” IPA

Citrus Cyclone IPA delivers a head-spinning taste of all the citrus flavors under the sun, finished with a kiss of real tangerine. The base beer is co-fermented with fresh California tangerines. This base is blended back with a separate lot of dry-hopped Mind Haze, then finished off with a final dash of tangerine to elevate the citrusy top note. Along the way, the Mandarina hop adds a distinctive orange character. The result is a remarkably refreshing Mind Haze experience.

About Firestone Walker

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.

Firestone Walker’s Oaktoberfest Is Back

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Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest
Photo Credit: Firestone Walker Brewing

PASO ROBLES, California— Firestone Walker’s fall classic is back with the 2023 edition of Oaktoberfest, an oak-inspired homage to the iconic “festbiers” that are synonymous with Munich’s legendary Oktoberfest celebration.

The 2023 Oaktoberfest Oak Aged Lager (5.2% ABV) begins rolling out to all Firestone Walker markets this week in 6-pack (12-oz cans) and draft formats. The name “Oaktoberfest” is a riff on Firestone Walker’s longtime commitment to brewing beer in oak barrels.

“Oaktoberfest is a beer that has stood the test of time,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “In fact, I believe that more and more craft drinkers are yearning for beers like Oaktoberfest. There’s a certain nostalgia to the style—smooth, sessionable, flavorful and malt-forward. It’s the kind of beer that you naturally crave as summer turns to fall.”

Oaktoberfest has been a seasonal staple at Firestone Walker dating back to the inaugural release in 2006. The recipe has evolved over the years, but recent tweaks have taken the beer to new heights.

A portion of the beer is lagered in French oak barrels inherited from one of Napa Valley’s top cult wineries. The barrels are stored at a temperature of 3°C for optimal lagering conditions. Meanwhile, the ingredients are decidedly German: Weyermann Vienna malt, Weyermann pilsner malt, noble German hops (Tradition and Spalter Select) and classic 34/70 Weihenstephan lager yeast.

Oaktoberfest’s light amber color foreshadows its toasty, biscuity flavor. The oak-barrel lagering allows for an even smoother texture, all while remaining true to the beer’s crisp malt profile and hints of noble hops.

“Oaktoberfest is rich in flavor but also light-bodied and easy to drink,” Brynildson said. “Which makes it enjoyable on warm and cool days alike.”

About Firestone Walker

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.

Breweries & Lead-Up Events Announced for Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest

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PASO ROBLES, California— Firestone Walker announced the lineup for the 2023 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest on June 3, featuring an all-star cast of more than 55 breweries from around the world.

Firestone Walker also announced a slate of local events leading up to the fest, all designed to bring visitors and the local community deeper into the experience. “This is a time when the Central Coast is at the center of the craft beer universe,” said David Walker.

Attending breweries at the 2023 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest include Balter Brewing from Australia’s Gold Coast; Birrificio Del Ducato from Parma, Italy; Oud Beersel from Beersel, Belgium; Lervig from Stavanger, Norway; Green Bench from St. Petersburg, Florida; Oxbow from Newcastle, Maine; and Private Press from Santa Cruz, California. A complete list of the breweries attending the 2023 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest can be viewed below and on the event page.

This year, the festivities begin early with the following local events and experiences:

Invitational Kickoff Concert @ Paso Robles City Park | Thursday, June 1

From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Firestone Walker will host a free Invitational Kickoff Concert in the Paso Robles City Park featuring live music by Dante Marsh & The Vibe Setters; a craft beer sensory experience; and an 805 Beer exhibit featuring trailers for upcoming original films featuring professional bull rider Stetson Lawrence and professional surfers Conner Coffin, Greyson Fletcher and Nate Tyler. The event will feature a wide selection of Firestone Walker beers, including No Vacancy IPA—the “fest collaboration” beer brewed with Alvarado Street Brewery (more details below).

Brewery Block Party @ Firestone Walker Paso Robles | Friday, June 2

The public is invited to the inaugural Invitational Brewery Block Party starting at 1:30 p.m. with outdoor barbecue offerings, beer sampling, guest taps, special bottle pours and games. The street between the brewhouse and Taproom restaurant will be open to foot traffic, with live music happening from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Invitational Kickoff Beer Pairings @ Participating Restaurants | Starting May 12

Starting May 12, Firestone Walker is collaborating with more than 20 top restaurants countywide to present custom fixed-price beer pairing menus. Each participating restaurant is offering a chef’s selection of dishes paired with a range of Firestone Walker beers—a culinary precursor to the upcoming beer fest. A full list of participating restaurants will be announced on May 12.

“No Vacancy” Fest Collaboration Beer | Available Now

Introducing “No Vacancy IPA,” the 2023 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest collaboration beer made with Alvarado Street Brewery in Monterey. No Vacancy is a new-age West Coast IPA, riffing on Alvarado Street’s signature My Tai IPA with a layer of Firestone Walker flair. Liberally hopped and loaded with tropical character, this is the IPA that welcomes you to the best beer fest in the West.

No Vacancy is rolling out to tap accounts throughout the Central Coast, as well as at Firestone Walker locations in Paso Robles, Buellton and Venice. It is also available at FirestoneBeer.com.

Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest | Saturday, June 3 (Sold Out)

Since its inaugural event in 2012, the Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest has become renowned as one of the world’s most esteemed beer festivals. This year’s edition will once again showcase an international cast of more than 55 leading craft breweries, as well as live music and food from more than 25 local restaurants and purveyors. Proceeds from the fest benefit Paso Robles Pioneer Day, a beloved local nonprofit.

“The Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest was born from a dream of creating a world-class festival featuring some of the best brewers in the world,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “This is a day when we can set the sales pitches aside and simply share our beers and stories with passionate craft drinkers.”

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

Firestone Walker Launches Double Hopnosis

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PASO ROBLES, California— Firestone Walker has doubled down on its signature Hopnosis IPA to create Double Hopnosis—an Imperial Cold IPA made to mesmerize the senses.

Inspired by the iconic West Coast style and brewed with new-age Cryo Hops, Double Hopnosis (8.3% ABV) delivers massive flavors of tropical fruit and citrus with a hypnotic sense of balance.

Double Hopnosis is now rolling out to Firestone Walker markets in 19.2-ounce cans for ultimate convenience.

“Double Hopnosis is brewed with our favorite emerging hops from the Pacific Northwest and Southern Hemisphere, then extravagantly double dry-hopped with Cryo Hops to take the flavors and mouthfeel to the next level,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “We call this our new-school rendition of a classic imperial West Coast IPA.”

Double Hopnosis is dry hopped with liberal amounts of Mosaic Cryo Hops as well as Citra, Chinook and Vic Secret, and is brewed with a total of nearly five pounds of hops per barrel. Cryo Hops are made by collecting the concentrated lupulin from whole-leaf hops, which contains the pure resins for bitterness and aromatic oils.

“Cryo Hops play the same role in Double Hopnosis as they do in the original Hopnosis: provide intense hop aroma and flavor with incredible integration, enabling us to make a hop-forward beer that is low in bitterness, super smooth, and delicious,” Brynildson said.

Like Hopnosis, Double Hopnosis is also fermented with Firestone Walker’s house lager yeast in the Cold IPA style, and it employs proprietary hopping techniques to push tropical thiols to the forefront of the aromatic profile.

“Double Hopnosis has roots in the original era of West Coast imperial IPAs while showcasing the Cold IPA style,” Brynildson said. “The overall experience is modernized by a lower impression of bitterness, a higher rate of tropical character and a new achievement of balance and drinkability.”

About Firestone Walker Brewing Company

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.

The Beast Is Back: Firestone Walker’s Parabola Returns With a Twist

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Paso Robles, California – Firestone Walker’s iconic Parabola imperial stout is back with a new vintage that was aged in a rare blend of spirits barrels from Blanton’s and W.L Weller distilleries. This release is also accompanied by the next edition of a small-batch spinoff called “Paraboloid,” which was aged in 20-year-old Elijah Craig bourbon barrels.

The 2023 vintage of Parabola is rolling out to all Firestone Walker markets in limited 12-ounce bottle and draft formats. Meanwhile, 12-ounce bottles of Paraboloid are available for a limited time at all Firestone Walker locations and online at FirestoneBeer.com.

Parabola is always a beast of a beer, with intense flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, vanilla and roast coffee—yet each annual release also bears its own subtle imprint, gained from aging in a unique mix of barrels from one year to the next.

True to form, the 2023 edition was aged for a year in an equal combination of eight-year-old Blanton’s bourbon and 12-year-old W.L. Weller wheated whiskey barrels. The wheated whiskey barrels accentuated Parabola’s signature richness with fine notes of cereal grain, while the bourbon barrels imparted their classic notes of toasted coconut and cocoa nibs.

“These barrels are pretty rare, and we’ve never used them to this extent in Parabola,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “I’ve been a longtime fan of Blanton’s, and I’m a more recent fan of Weller, and together they add a flavorful new twist on the story of Parabola.”

Origin Story

The origins of Parabola date back to 2005, when it was created as a component for Firestone Walker’s first barrel-aged Anniversary Ale, which was called Ten. When this inaugural Anniversary Ale was released the following year, it became an immediate sensation and helped spark the coming surge in barrel-aged craft beers.

Along the way, Parabola gained a cult reputation of its own, finally meriting its own stand-alone release in 2010. Ever since, Parabola has returned each spring as a small-batch Firestone Walker staple. Today, Parabola maintains a perfect 100-point rating on Beer Advocate.

Paraboloid: Aged in 20-Year Elijah Craig Barrels

Parabola also achieves new heights in the limited small-batch spinoff known as Paraboloid.

The story of this beer began when it was aged in a special selection of premium 20-year-old Elijah Craig bourbon barrels. These barrels complemented Parabola’s flavors with mellow hints of oak, fudge and chocolate brownie.

“The rarity of these barrels speaks for itself, we were grateful to secure them,” Brynildson said. “They’re as old as the Parabola recipe itself. We’ve used Elijah Craig barrels in our barrel-aging program for a long time. Their barrels are super consistent and I’m a massive fan of their bourbons—but I’d never seen a 20-year-old Elijah Craig barrel until now.”

Additionally, the beer was aged for a full 18 months prior to blending and bottling, cultivating an ultra-smooth mouthfeel for this prodigiously flavorful stout.

About Firestone Walker Brewing Company

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.

Firestone Walker Releases Two Limited-Edition IPAS

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Paso Robles, California – Firestone Walker hits the ground running this spring with the limited-edition release of Psychedelic Arcade and Hop Fighters, two new treasure beers available exclusively in the brewery’s first IPA Mixed Packs of 2023.

The canned Firestone Walker IPA Mixed Pack featuring Psychedelic Arcade is rolling out now to all Firestone Walker markets and locations. This pack also includes Hopnosis, Mind Haze and Union Jack.

Concurrently, a parallel bottled IPA Mixed Pack featuring Hop Fighters is rolling out to the California, Arizona and Nevada markets. This pack also includes Hopnosis and Union Jack.

Psychedelic Arcade: West Coast Golden Rye IPA | 6.3% ABV

Introducing Psychedelic Arcade—a West Coast Golden Rye IPA that goes full tilt on flavor. First created at Firestone Walker’s Propagator R&D brewhouse in Venice, California, Psychedelic Arcade was leveled up for this special release. A base of 2-Row and Rye malt sets the tone with expansive textures, while a blend of Galaxy, Strata and Nectaron hops delivers mind-blowing flavors of tropical fruit, blueberry and grapefruit. An IPA that you can bank on sip after sip.

Hop Fighters: West Coast IPA | 6.4% ABV

Also now landing: Hop Fighters, a new age West Coast IPA that is destined to invade your senses. A clean malt base of 2-Row and Munich paves the way for a high-flying blend of Cashmere, Chinook and Idaho 7 hops, all from the great Pacific Northwest. The result is an out-of-this-world shootout of citrusy hop flavors with hints of tropical fruit. The truth is not only out there—it’s right here in the bottle.

The spring IPA Mixed Packs also include the following Firestone Walker classics:

Hopnosis: Cold IPA | 6.7% ABV

Hopnosis is the culmination of Firestone Walker’s 15-year quest to master the IPA style. Brewed with Mosaic Cryo Hops®, Hopnosis is a seamless, aromatic and explosively tropical beer, employing Cold IPA brewing techniques to create an ultimate new-school expression of a West Coast IPA. The resulting beer delivers pure hop character with minimal bitterness, loaded with flavors of mango, passionfruit, white grape and lychee.

Mind Haze: Hazy IPA | 6.2% ABV

From the coast of California comes Mind Haze, a free-spirited beer made to elevate your perceptions—juicy, fresh and loaded with an imaginative array of tropical hop flavors. This is a hazy IPA done the Firestone way. Mind Haze is ultimately a beer that breaks the mold with explosive hop aromas; juicy, fruity flavors; and a true hazy-style mouthfeel.

Union Jack: West Coast IPA | 7% ABV

Huge flavor that packs a punch. This is Union Jack—an icon of the West Coast IPA style, for those who like their beer loud and proud. Union Jack is the IPA that helped blaze the trail for the revolutionary West Coast style. Named for the British Lion who co-¬founded the brewery, Union Jack is intensely hoppy yet eminently drinkable from start to finish. A fad-proof IPA for any hop head.

About Firestone Walker Brewing Company

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.