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2023 Firkenstiein, The Latest Incarnation of FirkFest Beer Festival
September 29, 2023 | Robert FrenchWhat type of beer festival do you get if you cross Oktoberfest and Halloween and some of the best California breweries? Firkenstein! Read More
Anderson Valley | Fall Hornin’ Pumpkin Ale
September 5, 2023 | Scott GrossmanAs the annual fall beer rollout begins, Anderson Valley Brewing Company’s Fall Hornin’ Pumpkin Ale blends all of the best flavors of the season. Fall Hornin’ is a perennial favorite at the Boonville, California, brewery and presents an enjoyable balance between malt and spice. Read More
Firestone Walker 2023 Tropical Hazy Mixed Pack Includes the New Mind Haze Tropic Rocket
August 23, 2023 | Mathew PowersFirestone Walker first joined the Hazy IPA trend in 2019 with the release of Mind Haze IPA. Its success led to Double Mind Haze (DIPA), Mind Haze Light, and a few creative reinterpretations of the original Mind Haze found in its Tropical Hazy Mixed Pack. The 2023 version includes two familiar Mind Haze varieties — Tiki Smash and Citrus Cyclone — and an all-new Mind Haze Tropic Rocket IPA.
GOAL. Brewing opens in San Diego
August 22, 2023 | Robert FrenchA new, but returning player is back in the San Diego brewing scene. GOAL. Brewing opened in July and at the helm of the brewhouse is Derek Gallanosa. Read More
Barrel Room Spotlight | Moksa Brewing
July 19, 2023 | Eric GriffinIt’s been long overdue to have another brewery join us in the Spotlight. So without further ado, enter Moksa Brewing Company out of Rocklin, CA. Established in 2017 and opening their doors in 2018, Moksa is another very young brewery that has had a lot of success in a very short period of time. Seeking to showcase beer and brewing as its own unique art form, Moksa has never hesitated to push the boundaries. We had the privilege of chatting with Head Brewer Cory Meyer, focusing on the growth and successes of their barrel program, some of the ins-and-outs of their processes, and their hopes for the future.
Firestone Walker | Rum Barrel CocoRado
June 26, 2023 | Britt AntleyNot content to rest on its niche beer style laurels, Firestone Walker has taken its classic Helldorado, a barrel aged Blonde Barleywine, and applied a tropical treatment, aging the beer in a combination of rum and rhum agricole barrels before conditioning it on coconut. The result is Rum Barrel CocoRado, a delightfully unique subset of a subset within beer styles. If you’re being different, you might as well dial the eccentricity up to 11.
Top Finds from the 2023 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival
June 13, 2023 | Britt AntleyAnother wildly successful Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival is in the books, and PorchDrinking has lived to write about it. Over 65 breweries from across the U.S. and various international locations descended on Paso Robles, California, with their best beers to delight thousands of beer fans. While it’s primarily a beer festival, it would be a disservice to not mention the incredible lineup of local food vendors who slang their wares as well, providing some much-needed sustenance to soak up the suds being poured.
Can’t-Miss Beers at the 2023 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival
June 2, 2023 | Britt AntleyTime is upon us yet again for one of the most anticipated beer fests of the year, the 2023 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival. Saturday, June 3 in Paso Robles, California, over 65 of the best breweries from across America and some international locations will be pouring some of their best beers to the delight of beer fans traveling from all over. As with any beer fest, it’s inadvisable if not impossible to visit every brewery’s booth and try all of their beer, so we at PorchDrinking have combed through the list and picked out some especially noteworthy beers you should make a point to try at the Paso Robles Event Center. Special thanks to Robert French for his help in curating the list.
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Urban Roots Brewing | Pile of Kittens Hazy IPA
April 25, 2023 | Robert FrenchIt’s not every day you get to order a Pile of Kittens. Finally, a beer that’s just as fun to order as it is to drink. Read More
Meet Me In California | 2023 California Craft Beer Summit Recap
April 12, 2023 | Robert FrenchThe 2023 California Craft Beer Summit highlighted the industry’s achievements and current challenges. The Summit has changed some of its focus from past years. The educational sessions were geared 100% toward the industry. They had no general “beer lover” element, which meant no beer and donut pairings for the beer geeks. This year’s event also did not culminate with a beer festival.
Burgeon Beer Company Launches New Online Beer Shop
March 24, 2023 | Jason MurphyCarlsbad, California-based Burgeon Beer Company has recently launched a new online beer shop that will be a game-changer in the San Diego beer market. Interested in what they are doing that could be that much of a change? Read on to find out!
2023 Parabola & Parabaloid Vintages Aged in a Trio of Rare Whiskey Barrels
March 15, 2023 | Tristan ChanOne of the country’s most prolific barrel-aged beers just received an added upgrade. Firestone Walker’s Parabola, which is regarded as one of the country’s pioneers in the barrel-aged Imperial Stout … Read More
Firestone Walker | Mezca-Limón
February 13, 2023 | Scott GrossmanFirestone Walker‘s Mezca-Limón represents the lighter side of the brewery’s barrel-aged portfolio. The brew emulates a classic cocktail named the Mezcalita, which is based on Mezcal liquor with citrus juices and a bit of agave syrup for sweetness. Read More
Anderson Valley Brewing Co. | Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale
January 20, 2023 | Scott Grossman‘Tis the season for spiced beers and Anderson Valley Brewing’s Winter Solstice hits the mark — flavorful, yet sessionably drinkable. In an age of excessive adjuncts, Anderson Valley keeps the spice bill noticeable but pleasantly restrained to create a balanced brew. Read More
Enter to Win | Firestone Walker’s “Legendary Brewmaster Experience”
January 13, 2023 | Tristan ChanThe same legendary brewery that has produced iconic industry-changing staples like Parabola, Union Jack, 805, Mind Haze, and Pivo Pils is giving one lucky beer fan the opportunity to join the “Legendary Brewmaster Experience.”
Firestone Walker Brewing invites beer fanatics to enter for a chance to win an all-expense paid, four-day, three-night VIP trip to visit all three Firestone Walker breweries in Venice, Buellton, and Paso Robles to brew with their all-star team. The winner of the Legendary Brewmaster Experience will receive an all-access Firestone Walker VIP weekend learning from the likes of co-founder David Walker, and Brewmaster, Matt Brynildson.
Firestone Walker 2023 Brewmaster’s Collective Opens for Enrollment
December 6, 2022 | Tristan ChanWhen it comes to national breweries, Firestone Walker is the baseball equivalent to a five-tool player. Not only have they been wildly successful in capturing the attention of casual craft beer fans with commercial hits like Mind Haze, Union Jack and Hopnosis, while also gaining the respect of their peers with industry icons like Pivo Pils and Wookey Jack, but they’ve also proven their ability to gain traction with casual beer drinkers through their 805 series.
However, all of that might pale in comparison with what they’ve accomplished through their ever-evolving barrel-aging and specialty release program. While beer fanatics are likely familiar with classics like Firestone Walker’s Parabola, Sucaba and their yearly Anniversary blends, over the past three years, the Paso Robles-based brewery has quietly continued to breathe new life into their barrel-aging and small-batch release programs through the Brewmaster’s Collective membership program. Think of them as the Shohei Ohtani of brewing.
Barrel Room Spotlight | Horus Aged Ales
November 30, 2022 | Eric GriffinWelcome to Round 3 of the Spotlight! For this installment all eyes are on Horus Aged Ales, a one-man operation out of Oceanside, CA. Kyle Harrop, the mastermind behind Horus, originally established himself in 2015. From there, he progressed it from a humble homebrew operation into what it has become today. Through experimental barrel-aging, unique adjunct additions, and countless collaborations with breweries all over the country, Horus has been able to stand out in one of the most competitive beer regions in the United States. We had the opportunity to pick Kyle’s brain and learn more about the methods and techniques he uses, and gain some further insight into what makes his barrel program successful.
5 Questions with Jacque Fields, Wild Fields Brewhouse
November 21, 2022 | Robert FrenchThere are not too many breweries that have had this kind of success in such a short period of time. Located strategically between Los Angeles and San Francisco in the town of Atascadero, Wild Fields Brewhouse is just three years old and has captured numerous gold medals. You would be hard-pressed to find two nicer people. Jacque & Ryan Fields are the real deal.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. | Colonel E.H. Taylor Bourbon Barrel Aged Bigfoot Barleywine
November 16, 2022 | Ruvani de SilvaAs we officially enter Big Beer season, craft beer giants Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has brought out the biggest of big beer guns to welcome winter in. The Colonel E.H. Taylor Bourbon Barrel Aged Bigfoot Barleywine is a masterful creation, prepared with delicacy and dedication, and bringing together two of the most respected alcohol brands in the U.S.
Broken Boundary Brewery | Bear Box Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
October 18, 2022 | Dylan HochstedlerHonolulu-based Broken Boundary Brewery takes a unique approach on both traditional styles and creative innovation. Their Detective Stout series is an ongoing experiment which Broken Boundary started brewing soon after opening its doors in March, 2020.
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