Tag: Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest

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Firestone Walker Invitational Brewery # 3 – Private Press Brewing

We are mere days away from the 2023 edition of the Firestone Walker Invitational in beautiful Paso Robles and here is the third featured brewery that will be pouring at the fairgrounds, Private Press Brewing.

They are unique in that is a membership brewery that focuses on barrel-aged brewing focused and creating only Imperial Stouts and Barleywines. As with most membership breweries, the output is small and the wait list long and winding but the below beers give a taste of what they are up to, in case you run across them at a festival.

Limitations American Strong Ale – “Bourbon barrel aged munichwine ale brewed with honey.”

Ripple in Time Quadrupel – “Belgian-style Quadrupel aged in bourbon barrels.”

1966 Barleywine – “Blend of bourbon barrel-aged barleywine ales.”


Collaboration with Cellarmaker Brewing Company

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Firestone Walker Invitational Brewery # 2 – Northern Monk

Northern Monk comes to Paso Robles all the way from Leeds in England (where a few American footballers play).

Let’s pick a few beers that I hope to taste at the Invitational next month…

Faith Hazy Pale Ale – “A Hazy Pale Ale packed with soft fruit flavours.”

Don’t Mess with Yorkshire Pale Ale – “with rhubarb and custard”

Heathen NE IPA – “One for the late nights and Hazy mornings.”

Northern Star Porter – chocolate, caramel biscuit “Smooth, creamy and rich.”

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Review – No Vacancy West Coast IPA from Firestone Walker and Alvarado Street

This is the official beer for the 2023 Firestone Walker Invitational. Alvarado Street is the dance partner and the beer is out in the wild already so those who did not get tickets can enjoy a piece of the festival.

This westie pours a really light yellow. Typical for Firestone Walker it is a fairly subdued ABV which is good. Light pine and orange peel on the nose of this lightly bitter beer. Tastes close to sessionable to me but others not as hop assaulted might find it more bitter. Super well-made, bright and simple down the middle IPA. This will really work well in the sunny Paso Robles June at festival time as well as summer anywhere else too.

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In the Tap Lines for May 2023

It has been a colder than usual spring here in L.A., heck the whole West Coast. No joke but it snowed in Portland on April 1st. Let’s dive into a month of beer fun with shorts on.

~ e-visits to (3) breweries from the upcoming Firestone Walker Invitational

~ special featured reviews of whatever is new in my ‘fridge

~Heads-Up on Los Angeles Beer Events

~ Three suggested beers to buy this month. One light, one medium and one dark

~ A Book & A Beer reads Stella Maris by Cormac McCarthy

~ A Podcast & A Beer listens to Doctor Dante

~ Sports & A Beer returns with the proliferation of team jerseys

~ New Beer Releases and Best Beers of the Month

~ I will tap the Firkin and give my no holds barred opinion on the craft beer world.

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Firestone Walker Invitational Brewery # 3 – Liquid Gravity

Our final stop before the Firestone Walker Invitational is in San Luis Obispo and Liquid Gravity. Let’s fill up a taster tray…

Killer Stratagy West Coast IPA – “100% STRATA WEST COAST IPA WITH BIG, STICKY NOTES OF DANK AND TROPICAL FRUIT.”

IPA – “LIQUID GRAVITY IPA IS A MODERN WEST COAST IPA WITH A BRIGHT, TROPICAL HOP CHARACTER, REFRESHING BITTERNESS AND CRISP FINISH. BURSTING WITH AN INTENSE BOUQUET OF PASSIONFRUIT, GUAVA AND TANGERINES, THIS 100% MOSAIC DRY-HOPPED BEER IS THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR LINEUP.”

Miami Heist Hazy DIPA – “MIAMI HEIST IS A HAZY DOUBLE IPA BREWED WITH CENTENNIAL AND CITRA HOPS. AT FIRST APPROACH YOU’LL FIND BRIGHT AROMAS OF CITRUS, MELON, AND TROPICAL FRUITS EXPLODING FROM THE GLASS. THE USE OF OATS AND WHEAT HELP TO BALANCE THE BEER WITH A GENTLE SWEETNESS AND LUSCIOUS TEXTURE THAT SOFTEN THE HOPS AS THEY LAND ON THE PALATE.”

Coffee Porter – “THIS BEER IS A TRADITIONAL ROBUST PORTER BREWED WITH PREMIUM LIGHTLY ROASTED ETHIOPIAN COFFEE BEANS FROM HONEY CO. COFFEE. THE RESULTING BEER HAS A MEDIUM BODY, GENTLE CARAMEL-LIKE SWEETNESS AND SOFT, CHOCOLATEY ESPRESSO FINISH.”

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Firestone Walker Invitational brewery # 2 – Chuckanut Brewery

We head to Washington State for Chuckanut Brewery. They do traditional styled ales and do them very well and I hope that their booth gets mobbed with people drinking beers like…

Export Dortmunder Lager – “Honey colored, bready, moderate bitterness.”

Grodziskie Lager – “Pale straw colored, fresh grain, gentle smoke, effervescent.”

Mosaic Leaf Pilsner – “Golden, dry, bitter, fruity noble hops, refreshing.”

Yellow Card Ale – “golden colored, spicy, crisp.”

Alt Bier Ale – “Deep bronze, zesty hop flavor, snappy, full malt flavor.”

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The Return of THE Invitational

Yesterday, the good news we have been waiting for dropped…

Yup, The Firestone Walker Invitational is BACK. And yes the all caps is very much needed.

Here is the list of breweries and the collaboration beer will be a done with Green Cheek of Anaheim., “Parrotphrase,” a dry-hopped grisette ale.

So many breweries that I can’t choose which excite me more. Bale Breaker, both Clouds, Thornbridge and Pinthouse would be my starting points.

And there is more…

“Firestone Walker today also unveiled the “Ultimate Firestone Walker Experience” sweepstakes, which includes two tickets to the 2022 Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest. 

The full prize also includes private tours and behind-the-scenes experiences at Firestone Walker’s Venice and Paso Robles breweries, and three nights at local hotels plus lunch and dinner at the brewery taprooms.

The sweepstakes is open from now through April 3 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Interested craft beer fans may submit their entry via the Ultimate Firestone Walker Experience sweepstakes page. The winner will be randomly drawn after the close of the sweepstakes period.”

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Feb. 11 and May 30

Tickets on sale: Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020 at 9am PST

Main event: Saturday, May 30, 2020 | 12pm-5pm (beer stops at 4pm) in lovely Paso Robles, CA

Play nice on ticket day please! Additional details can be found right HERE.