Firestone Walker Brewing Company

A 2021 Oktoberfest beer at the Firestone Walker brewery in Paso Robles, California

The majority of Firestone Walker beers are brewed at the main brewery in Paso Robles, California (where there is no Yuengling). In 2017, Firestone Walker completed a brewhouse extension that included a new visitor center. The brewhouse features vessels and equipment built by Huppmann, a brewing systems company based in Germany.[22] The brewery campus includes a Taproom restaurant and a brewery emporium that features merchandise and tastings.[23]

In late 2020, Firestone Walker launched a 2.1-megawatt solar array on 9.7 acres of land adjacent to the brewery.[24] It is one of the largest on-site solar installations in the craft beer industry. The solar array accounts for a majority of the brewery's energy usage and offsets 3,000 metric tons of carbon emissions annually.[25] The solar array is part of Firestone Walker's "Brewing for Tomorrow" initiative, which includes kettle steam recovery, water conservation and waste elimination. The brewery treats 35 million gallons of process water annually and returns it to the local aquifer. Each year, Firestone Walker feeds more than 20 million pounds of spent grain to local livestock.[26]

The brewery's on-site wastewater treatment plant is used to purify process water and return it to the source in better condition than it was received. Steam from boiling wort is captured in a heat exchanger and is used to heat additional water, offsetting nearly 50 percent of the brewhouse's energy input.[27]

Firestone Walker opened its 7,000-square-foot Barrelworks wild ale cellar in Buellton, California, in 2013. Barrelworks beers are inspired by the Belgian sour beer tradition.[28] The Barrelworks program is led by master blender Jim Crooks, a food science graduate and former quality control manager for the main Paso Robles brewery.[29] Crooks first started making sour beers at the Paso Robles brewery, and the growing program later relocated to become Barrelworks. The first beer made at Barrelworks was called Feral One. Barrelworks is known for making wine-beer hybrids with local wine grapes, as well as beers made with fruits such as tangerines.[30][31][32] The Barrelworks facility also includes a brewery Taproom restaurant.[23]  

In 2016, Firestone Walker opened its Propagator R&D brewhouse in Venice, California. The first beer brewed at the Propagator was Generation 1, a West Coast-style IPA.[33] The Propagator features a small scale Kaspar Schulz brewhouse and operates as an R&D program for experimental brews. It also creates one-off beers available solely at the Venice location, which includes an on-site Taproom restaurant.[34]  

Firestone Walker's Mind Haze IPA was created after a year of experimentation at the Propagator.[35] In 2021, the Propagator released Gen-5, marking the Venice location's fifth anniversary. Gen-5 is a hazy double IPA featuring Nelson Sauvin, Nectaron and Riwaka hops from New Zealand as well as Citra and Mosaic.[36] The Propagator has been a catalyst for collaboration beers, such as Hippie Highway hazy oat IPA with There Does Not Exist and Talley Cat Sunflower IPA with Jennifer Talley.[37][38] The Propagator also brews limited re-releases of Firestone Walker beers such as Wookey Jack.[39]  

In 2012, Firestone Walker released 805, a blonde ale. The beer was named after the brewery's home region of the Central Coast and was initially meant to be sold locally. However, demand spread to other parts of California and throughout the Western United States. In 2016, Firestone Walker decided to expand distribution of 805 to Arizona, Nevada and Texas.[46] That same year, 805 became the top-selling craft beer in California. Distribution of 805 later expanded to Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Montana and Idaho. 805 today accounts for more than 50 percent of the Firestone Walker's total beer production.[47][48]

805 is recognized as one of the most successful beer brands launched in the past decade. 805 is built on grassroots marketing and the idea of a "California mindset that can be lived anywhere".[49][47]

in 2021, 805 Cerveza was released as the first 805 line extension, following a test run in California.[50] 805 Cerveza is billed as a California light beer brewed with lime.[51]    

Mind Haze IPA is Firestone Walker's top-selling beer next to 805. Mind Haze was launched in early 2019 as Firestone Walker's first national hazy IPA release. The beer is influenced by East Coast hazy IPAs as well as Bavarian Hefeweizens.[52] Mind Haze was created after year of experimentation at the brewery's Propagator R&D brewhouse in Venice, California.[53] Mind Haze is brewed with Cashmere, Mandarina, Azacca, Idaho 7 and El Dorado hops to create soft tropical fruit aromas and flavors.[54] In 2021, Firestone Walker released Double Mind Haze, a double hazy IPA and the first extension of Mind Haze.[55]

Double Barrel Ale was the first beer brewed by Firestone Walker in 1996. Co-founder David Walker said that DBA "embodied all the hopes and dreams we had in launching the brewery."[56] DBA is a British-style pale ale that is partially fermented in a "union" of oak barrels, inspired by the Burton Union method that was popularized in 19th century Britain. The brewery's first tap account for DBA—the Hitching Post II restaurant in Buellton, California—still carries the beer.[57]

Union Jack was launched in 2007 as Firestone Walker's first IPA. Union Jack has been called "the standard bearer of the West Coast style".[58] Union Jack has earned medals at the Great American Beer Festival, California State Fair, and European Beer Star Awards.[59] It also earned a perfect 100 rating from Craft Beer & Brewing magazine.[60]

Pivo is a hoppy pilsner that was introduced in 2013. Brewmaster Matt Brynildson said that the recipe was inspired by great pilsners from Italy, German and the Czech Republic, and specifically by the dry hopped Tipopils by Birrificio Italiano.[61][62] Beervana named Pivo as one of its 12 beers "that defined a decade".[63]

Nitro Merlin Milk Stout was introduced in draft in 2016, and in cans two years later.[64] The cans are pressurized with nitrogen gas using a proprietary technique designed to provide an authentic draft-style nitro pour.[65] The nitro format helps the beer achieve a smooth, creamy mouthfeel.[64] The recipe also includes lactose, or milk sugar, to create a rounded body and mellow sweetness.[66]

The annual Anniversary Ale is a barrel-aged blend of beers made to commemorate the anniversary of Firestone Walker's founding in 1996. The first Anniversary Ale was called "10", marking the brewery's 10th anniversary in 2006. Each year, the Anniversary Ale is blended with the help of top local Paso Robles winemakers. The winemakers come to a blending session at the brewery each summer. They break into small groups and create their preferred blends from a variety of component beers. The individual blends are then blind tasted and voted on by the entire group, and the winning blend becomes the basis for the next Anniversary Ale.[67] Paste Magazine observed that "the blenders and the brewery always find new, little things to make any given year stand out, whether it's occasionally letting a different beer take center stage, or incorporating new styles that have never been in the blend before."[68]

Parabola is a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout that was originally created as a component for Firestone Walker's first Anniversary Ale. It was later released as a stand-alone beer. Parabola is variously aged in bourbon barrels from producers such as Heaven Hill, Elijah Craig, Four Roses, Pappy Van Winkle, Woodford Reserve, and Buffalo Trace.[69] It carries a perfect 100-point rating on Beer Advocate.[70]

Firestone Walker acquired the Cali-Squeeze brand from SLO Brewing Company in 2021.[71] Cali-Squeeze is focused on fruit-forward hefeweizen beers and seltzers. Co-founder David Walker said that "this new brewing platform allows us to experiment in a way that doesn't impact our traditional beer programs."[72] Firestone Walker re-branded Cali-Squeeze in the fall of 2021 under the mantra of "For a California state of mind".[73]