2024 Firestone Walker Invitational Announces Brewery List & On-Sale Date

How does the country’s best annual beer festival possibly get any better? Part of the answer lies in the brewery’s plans to expand its footprint by incorporating a month of programming and by adding a fresh wave of exciting breweries.

The Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival is officially BACK! Taking place on June 1, 2024, with ticket sales going on sale this upcoming Tuesday, February 13 at 10 a.m. PST, the iconic festival, which artfully pairs over 60 of the world’s most prolific breweries with over 20 of Southern California’s most impressive culinary purveyors, is primed for an even bigger year.

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Horus Aged Ales | Built Different (CrystAle)

Continuing a trend of California brewers developing new Barleywine-based beer styles, we now visit SoCal where Kyle Harrop of Horus Aged Ales has developed CrystAle. This 100% Crystal Malt riff on Barleywine began as a self challenge and morphed into something truly unique, combining elements of several styles into a new barrel aged option in Kyle’s repertoire. Built Different is the first CrystAle Kyle released, giving a peek into the philosophy and method behind developing a new beer style.

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Firestone Walker Brewing | Dividing Time (Munichwine)

Beer styles reflect the times in which they originate. Once upon a decade or so ago in craft beer, the idea of a pint glass filled with opaque orange juice-looking liquid whose taste most closely resembles a tropical smoothie would be preposterous. Alas, over the past 10+ years Hazy IPAs have come to dominate the craft beer landscape. Some styles are but a blip on the map – Brut IPAs sought a dry easy drinking alternative to the Hazy but had no staying power. This more easily palatable yet still juicy desire has led to the recent proliferation of Cold IPAs and modern West Coast IPAs utilizing lager yeast and modern hop varietals to reach that desired end. Despite this constant evolution, some beer styles seem timeless despite only recently being developed. Such a style is Munichwine developed by Brad Clark of Private Press Brewing. Having tweaked and perfected the style to his liking, Clark worked with Firestone Walker Brewing to brew a collaboration Munichwine at their facility and then age it in bourbon barrels, resulting in Dividing Time – an exclusive release for members of Firestone Walker’s beer club, the Brewmaster’s Collective.

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Wondrous Brewing Co. | Keller Pils German Style Pilsner

We love to hear stories about people turning their dreams into reality. People who are so passionate about what they want to do and fully pursue it from the very beginning. Such is the case for Wynn Whisenhunt, owner and brewer for Emeryville, California-based Wondrous Brewing Company.

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Firestone Walker Announces 2024 Brewmaster’s Collective

Beginning today, Firestone Walker has opened up membership to its 2024 Brewmaster’s Collective, an exclusive beer club that allows members to dive deep into the minds of the brewers and experience the barrel-aging mastery that Firestone Walker has obtained. “If you’re into barrel-aged beers, you’re going to love what we have in store for you,” says Matt Brynildson, Brewmaster at Firestone Walker. 

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2023 Firkenstiein, The Latest Incarnation of FirkFest Beer Festival

What 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

As 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

Firestone 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.

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GOAL. Brewing opens in San Diego

A 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

It’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.

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Firestone Walker | Rum Barrel CocoRado

Not 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.

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Top Finds from the 2023 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival

Another 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. 

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Can’t-Miss Beers at the 2023 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival

Time 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

It’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

The 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.

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Burgeon Beer Company Launches New Online Beer Shop

Carlsbad, 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!

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2023 Parabola & Parabaloid Vintages Aged in a Trio of Rare Whiskey Barrels

One 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

Firestone 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

‘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”

The 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.

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