Firestone Walker Releasing Luponic Distortion Revolution No. 005

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Paso Robles, CA: The next release in Firestone Walker’s Luponic Distortion revolving hop series begins rolling out today with Revolution No. 005—a blend of five hops led by an emerging American cultivar from Washington’s Moxee Valley.

“Revolution No. 005 hearkens back to some of the earlier revolutions with its assertive tropical fruit character, yet it also has its own unique signature,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “We threw folks a bit of a curveball with the more restrained style of Revolution No. 004, and now we’re changing it up again with this new blend that will have hop heads rejoicing.”

Luponic Distortion is not a single beer, but rather an ongoing series of beers that revolves approximately every 90 days. While the base beer always remains the same, each revolution features a different hop blend built around experimental hops, designed to showcase the growing possibilities of pure hop aromas and flavors.

Courtesy of Firestone Walker

Fruit Bomb

Luponic Distortion Revolution No. 005 is driven by a blend of four American hops with an assist from one German hop. The majority of the blend is led by a newer cultivar from the Yakima region that Brynildson has been anxious to work with for more than a year.

“One of the first things I did when we launched Luponic Distortion was to put the wheels in motion to get this hop contracted for a future revolution,” Brynildson said. “It is loaded with tropical qualities like mango, pineapple and guava, with less of that classic American grapefruit character. It’s really fresh and interesting, and it’s a fitting hop for changing things up again.”

A Farewell To Wookey

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Paso Robles, CA—Is it truly a farewell to Wookey Jack, Double Jack and Opal as Firestone Walker Brewing Company steels itself to stop brewing these beloved beers?

The answer is complicated, but yes, Firestone Walker’s Proprietor’s Reserve line is winding down, and the three beers referenced above will accordingly dwindle from distribution by the end of the year.

“It’s a bittersweet occasion,” said David Walker. “Each of these beers was forward-thinking and representative of some of our best brewing efforts, but they are now stepping aside to make room for the next generation.”

Added Adam Firestone, “This was a hard decision made for the sake of innovation. These beers were born of that ideal, and now they are yielding to it.”

Wookey Jack (Black Rye IPA), Double Jack (Imperial IPA) and Opal (Dry-Hopped Saison) have collectively represented the Proprietor’s Reserve Series tier for several years. This tier was dedicated to smaller-batch standout beers, and as such was aligned between Firestone Walker’s widespread Lion & Bear offerings and the limited Vintage Reserve tier of barrel-aged beers.

“The suspension of the Proprietor’s Reserve tier will create a void that the brewers here are extremely excited to fill,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “It opens up a brand new canvas. That’s all I can say for now on that.”

He added, “Wookey isn’t dead yet, and neither are the others. They may make curtain calls as special limited releases, or get reimagined into something more fantastical, or both. Our Propagator pilot brewhouse in Venice should be on line soon, and it will not only provide a platform for new R&D beers, but also for bringing back small batches of these Proprietor’s Reserve beers periodically for on-premise enjoyment.”

Firestone Walker’s “Oaktoberfest” Reborn This Month in New 16-Ounce Can Format

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Paso Robles, CA: After a one-year hiatus, Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s seasonal Oaktoberfest makes its packaged return this month in a dashing new 16-ounce can format.

“We brewed a single batch of Oaktoberfest for select draft accounts last year, but that was it,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “It’s cool to have this beer back in the package, particularly in this new four-pack. You might be tempted to retire your stein and quaff it straight from the can.”

Oaktoberfest is a “Paso Märzen Bier” made to honor the classic Märzen style while exhibiting just a hint of extra West Coast hoppiness. All of the ingredients are sourced from Germany, including Vienna and Pilsner malts as well as Hallertau Tradition hops.

“Malty sweetness and subtle honey-like aromas take the lead on this beer, but there’s also a subtext of noble hop spiciness,” Brynildson said. “It’s mellow and rounded, and has a beautiful autumn orange hue.”

Courtesy of Firestone Walker Brewing Co

Oaktoberfest is a seasonal offering for late summer and fall, and will be available in all Firestone Walker markets starting in mid August. While Oaktoberfest has long been a fall staple at the brewery, this latest release marks only the second time it has been packaged.

The name Oaktoberfest is a nod to the brewery’s hometown of Paso Robles—Spanish for “Pass of The Oaks”—as well as the longtime presence of oak barrels as a central part of the Firestone Walker brewing operation. The checkered blue and white pattern on the label echoes the Bavarian flag and pays homage to the Oktoberfest style.

Also on the homefront, the third annual 2016 Madonna Inn Oktoberfest presented by Firestone Walker Brewing Company takes place on October 1 in San Luis Obispo. As always, Oaktoberfest will be racked to oak barrels and ceremonially tapped to punctuate the festivities.

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Firestone Walker Releasing Luponic Distortion A New Series Of Rotating Beers

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Paso Robles, CA: You could say that Brewmaster Matt Brynildson has been waiting his entire career for a mandate like this: to riff freely in the brewhouse without formal recipe or restraint while plundering the many marvels of the hop revolution.

This mandate has begotten Luponic Distortion—a new series of rotating beers built around experimental hops, with each release designed to showcase the possibilities of pure hop aromas and flavors without any assist from adjuncts. 

“Every time someone goes to drink a Pivo or Easy Jack or other Firestone beer, it should taste the same every time,” Brynildson said. “That all changes with Luponic Distortion.” 

Remixed Every 90 Days

Luponic Distortion is not a single beer, but rather an ongoing series of beers that will evolve and revolve approximately every 90 days. It all kicks off with Revolution No. 001 in March, to be followed by Revolution No. 002 and so on. Luponic Distortion Revolution No. 001 will be released starting next week in all Firestone Walker markets in cans, bottles and draft.

The base beer will remain the same with each new release, but the hop blend will change every time, so that no two releases will be exactly alike. As many as nine different hops will be included in each release, with up to six used in the dry hopping alone. However, with each release, the brewing team is going to turn up the volume a different featured experimental hop, which will be dry hopped in greater quantity than the others.

“We can completely evolve, change and redirect this thing as new hops come to us,” Brynildson said. “Luponic Distortion is this beer that can keep morphing and stay interesting and remain out in front of this crazy hop wave.”

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 Plugged In

Brynildson noted that the hop market was once largely controlled by industrial breweries. Then small craft brewers came along and expressed interest in hops that were better and different, opening the door to a spectrum of new possibilities. But since it takes a minimum of eight years to develop a single new hop cultivar from breeding through commercial availability, the full brunt of the hop revolution is only now being felt from the Pacific Northwest to Germany and beyond.

“The door is now being blown wide open on all of these insane new experimental hop varieties, and Luponic Distortion is our opportunity to plug into them.”

Accordingly, Luponic Distortion represents an intentional departure from the heavier style of many IPAs. Instead, it aims for a razor-like brightness, providing a clean platform for the hop aromas to pop as vividly as possible. 

“We’re going to be able to push aromas and flavors forward in this beer that might make you swear there’s a fruit adjunct in there, but we’re going to do it with pure hops,” Brynildson said.

 

Courtesy of Firestone Walker Brewing CO

Time to Jam

For Brynildson, Luponic Distortion is a dream come true, and the outcome of a longtime obsession with hops.

Brynildson’s first job out of college in the early 1990s was as a hop chemist. He has remained engaged in the hop industry ever since, and is today an international consultant for the Hop Growers of America.

Last fall, he traveled to Europe to deliver hop presentations at the Weihenstephan brewing institute in Germany and at Heriot-Watt University’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling in Scotland. Along the way, he did some exploring into new German experimental hops that he plans to incorporate into future releases of Luponic Distortion.

“I have been fascinated with hops and hop science my entire career, and I’ve been lucky enough to get to know hop breeders and growers all around the world,” Brynildson said. “These friendships have been a big part of what we do at Firestone Walker, but mainly in the context of developing formal recipes. With Luponic Distortion, we are doing away with the formalities—this is a beer that can pivot in real time with the newest hop cultivars.”

Brynildson also noted that his hop-savvy brewing team is equally excited.

“I always go back to music,” he said. “The best bands to see live may play their greatest hits, but they always pull out at least one song that they morph and jam on, and it’s never the same, and that’s what brings you back time and time again. Luponic Distortion is the culmination of this journey, where we finally just get to jam.”

For more info, check out the Luponic Distortion microsite: www.firestonebeer.com/beers/luponic-distortion.php

Firestone Walker Brewing Company Announces The Planned Expansion Of Its Brewhouse In Paso Robles

 

Courtesy of Firestone Walker Brewing Co

Paso Robles, CA: Firestone Walker Brewing Company today announced the planned expansion of its brewhouse in Paso Robles, which will deepen the brewery’s roots on California’s Central Coast as it heads into its 20^th anniversary year.

“We introduced the idea of expanding the brewhouse a couple years ago and this is the fulfillment of that dream,” said Adam Firestone. “We have watched other notable California crafts develop strategies outside the state, but we remain committed to this community.”

Added David Walker, “Eighty percent of our beer is consumed in California, which makes us perfectly located here on the Central Coast to meet demand, and demand continues to climb. It’s satisfying to reinvest in this place. This is home.”

The plan calls for an extension of the existing brewhouse along the western front of the brewery. The property footprint will not be increased. "It’s early days, but we hope to be complete some time in 2017,” Walker said.

“We upgraded our existing brewhouse in late 2012 and felt it might serve us efficiently for at least the next five to seven years,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “However, demand for our beers has been greater than expected, and we are now literally working around the clock to keep up. The new brewhouse will return us to a more normal work week, and that will give our brewers their weekends back.”

Brynildson said that he is excited about the possibilities presented by the plan, which call for state-of-the-art brewing technologies as well as new energy and water recovery systems. He said that ongoing improvement along these lines has helped the brewery continuously improve quality. Firestone Walker recently earned the title of Mid-Size Brewing Company of The Year at the Great American Beer Festival for a record fourth time in less than 10 years.

“People always wonder if quality will falter as we grow, but I feel like whenever we make one of these steps, we always improve quality,” Brynildson said. “Every time we get an opportunity to upgrade one of our departments like our brewhouse or kegging, we go with the absolute best solutions possible, and it shows in the beer.”

Brynildson noted that the brewhouse extension will also free up dedicated space for focusing on small-batch and single-lot beer production. 

Firestone Walker’s distribution remains concentrated on the West Coast, with 80 percent of the brewery’s beers still consumed in California.

“Our first choice is to make infrastructure investments right here in Paso Robles, not in other parts of the country or elsewhere in California,” Walker said. “We are right where we need to be in terms of brewing beer for the homefront.”

Courtesy of Firestone Walker Brewing Co

Firestone Walker Brewmaster Throws Curveball To Winemakers

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Firestone Walker’s XIX Anniversary Ale Blended with Un-Hoppy Twist

Paso Robles, CA: An annual rite came with a twist this year when local winemakers once again joined Firestone Walker’s brewing team for the blending of the next Anniversary Ale—only to discover that hoppy component beers had been taken off the table.

“We went back to the basics this year,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “We offered the winemakers a smaller number of barrel-aged beers to work with, and we eliminated the option of blending in our hoppy stainless steel finished beers. They were surprised at first, but it resulted in a rich and complex beer that is centered on barrel-aged flavors.”

In the past, as many as nine component beers were incorporated into the final Anniversary Ale blend. However, this year’s Anniversary Ale—called XIX—is comprised of four beers: Parabola, Stickee Monkee, Bravo, and Velvet Merkin.

Un-Hoppy

In recent years, Brynildson found that hop-driven component beers such as Double Jack and Wookey Jack were becoming increasingly influential in the final blend. “In a blending session, the palate can easily gravitate to hops, because they are assertive and seductive,” Brynildson said. “I was concerned that hoppiness might begin to encroach on the intended style of the Anniversary Ale, so I eliminated the temptation.”

He added, “In many ways, this latest beer reflects more of what a typical wine blend would be in terms of the number of components and how those components can work together. I believe it truly embodies what this project is all about.”

Grapes to Grains

“Our winemaker friends are practicing experts in the art of blending,” Brynildson said. “Their input is invaluable when it comes to blending a seamless beer from widely varied components.”

As always, the XIX blending session was both friendly and fiercely competitive. A total of 13 winemakers participated. The winemakers were paired off and presented with the component beers. The pairs were tasked with creating their own preferred blends from among the components. The preferred blends were then presented to the entire group and blind tasted. Individual votes were cast, and the blend with the most votes became the basis for XIX.

Sherman Thacher and Daniel Callan of Thacher Winery are credited with creating the winning blend that became XIX, granting them possession of the coveted cardboard crown that is awarded to the winning team each year.

THE FINAL BLEND

“We blended together 235 oak barrels and four different beers creating something truly complex and exceptional.” – Brewmaster Matt Brynildson                                                                                                                                                                                                      
Parabola / Aged in Bourbon Barrels / 33.33% of Final Blend
-Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout

Stickee Monkee / Aged in Bourbon and Whiskey Barrels / 33.33% of Final Blend
-Central Coast Quad Brewed with Belgian Candi and Mexican Turbinado (brown) Sugar

Bravo / Aged in Bourbon and Brandy Barrels / 16.6% of Final Blend
-Imperial Brown Ale

Velvet Merkin / Aged in Bourbon Barrels / 16.6% of Final Blend                 
-Traditional Oatmeal Stout
                                               
XIX ABV: 13.8%

ORIGINS & AVAILABILITY

XIX is the 10^th release in Firestone Walker’s anniversary series, dating back to the release of the inaugural anniversary release called “Ten” in 2006. Over the ensuing years, Firestone Walker has developed one of the craft beer industry’s most extensive barrel aging programs, spanning upwards of 1,500 barrels. Brewing beer with oak barrels has been a pioneering focal point for the brewery since its founding in 1996.

XIX will be available in select markets across the United States starting in November. The suggested retail price is $23.99 for an individually boxed 22-ounce bottle.

BREWMASTER’S NOTES

“As a finished beer, XIX is a rich, chocolaty, chewy brew with brandy-soaked raisin and holiday fruitcake flavors. The blend is anchored by equal parts Stickee Monkee and Parabola, which combine to create a dense chocolate truffle-like base. Velvet Merkin and Bravo lend their spicy oak, leather and fruity accents to complete the brew. The beer is unfiltered and unfined so there will be a small amount of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. XIX is best enjoyed poured carefully into a half-filled brandy snifter or wine glass. Allow it to warm to 55F to fully enjoy the pleasing and complex aromas. As the beer sits and breathes in the glass the true complexity of this blend is revealed, so take your time. If you wait to open your bottle later, store it in a cool dark place. I suspect, like our other Anniversary offerings, that this beer will age well and change favorably for years to come.”

PARTICIPATING WINEMAKERS

“These are my friends and brothers in fermentation science, and practicing experts in the art of blending.” – Brewmaster Matt Brynildson

·         Sherman Thacher and Daniel Callan – Thacher Winery (Winning Blend)

·         Matt Trevisan – Linne Calodo

·         Stephan Asseo – L’Aventure

·         Steve Martell – Kaleidos

·         Eric Jensen and Connor McMahon  – Booker

·         Terry Hoage – TH Estate Wines

·         Russell From and Cameron Stoffel – Herman Story

·         Kevin Sass and Molly Lonborg – Halter Ranch

·         Scott Hawley –Torrin Vineyard

Also thanks to friends Arie Litman, Pete Slosberg and Bobby Fox for lending their expertise to the blending session. 

Courtesy of Firestone Walker Brewing Co

Firestone Walker Pivo Hoppy Pilsner Now Available In Cans

Firestone Walker's popular Pivo Pilsner is now available in cans, see press release below for details

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 TAKING AMERICAN PILSNER BACK

 Now in Cans, Firestone Walker’s PIVO Helps Drive Domestic Craft Pilsner Movement

Paso Robles, CA: What a difference a few years make…

When Firestone Walker Brewing Company launched its Pivo hoppy pilsner in 2013, the market for domestic craft pilsner was uncertain and largely uncharted.

Now, two short years later, Pivo is blowing up and domestic pilsner appears on the verge of a renaissance.B

No Joke

“Domestic pilsner is no longer a joke,” said Brewmaster Brynildson said. “Craft brewers are taking American-brewed pilsner away from its industrial image and back to its stylistic roots.”

Brynildson noted that American-brewed pilsner began as something authentic, with immigrants moving to the United States and making pilsner beer as a familiar taste of the motherland.

“They made these beers for Germans living in the Midwest,” he said. “The style caught on as a national trend, but the beer just got dumbed down over time. There’s a rich heritage for pilsners not only in Europe, but here in America, so there’s plenty of ground to recapture.”

In other words, to quote famed beer authority Garrett Oliver, “Pilsner, the world’s most popular style of beer, was invented in Czech Bohemia, perfected in Germany, and turned into flavorless mass-market fizz in America."

Trending Up

Pivo was conceived as a classic Pilsner made in the German style but also with Czech and Italian influences—the brewing equivalent of going out on a limb.

“Back when we were first brewing Pivo, there were only a few American breweries at the time, like Trumer and Victory, who were producing a true pilsner on any sort of scale,” Brynildson said. “We were confident in the quality of Pivo, but we still had to wonder how much of a market there was for a beer like this.”

That question has since been answered. Demand for Pivo exceeded expectations from the start, and now, two years later, sales are still growing at a 45 percent clip.

“We can barely keep up with demand,” Brynildson said. “It’s not just a testament to Pivo, but also to the larger fact that craft beer drinkers are starting to rally around the pilsner style.”

Brynildson attributes this trend to the maturation of the collective craft beer palate.

“When a lot of people first get into craft beer, they gravitate toward the biggest flavors and go searching for the gnarliest triple IPA they can find. Over time, however, they find themselves search for something more balanced and drinkable and sessionable, and a true pilsner checks all of those marks.”  

Now In Cans

This year, Pivo is being offered in cans for the first time—one more small step toward changing the perception of canned American pilsner. “Cans are just a perfect vessel for a beer like this,” Brynildson said.

To mark this somewhat ironic occasion, Firestone Walker developed a visual timeline called “The History of Pivo According to Pilsner,” which is viewable here.

 

Courtesy of Firestone Walker Brewing Co

Inaugural Bottling of Firestone Walker Brewing 's Rare Helldorado Barley Wine Set for July 18th.

Courtesy of Firestone Walkers Brewing Co

IN RIDES “HELLDORADO”

Inaugural Bottling of Barrel-Aged Blonde Barley Wine

Set for July 18

Paso Robles, CA: You’ve been warned: Helldorado may be blonde in color, but if you take it lightly, you’ll get gunned downed by a blast of barrel-aged flavor at an ABV of 12 percent.

Indeed, after years as an occasional draft rarity, Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s iconoclastic Helldorado—a blonde barley wine aged in retired spirits barrels—is set to make its bottled debut on July 18.

“The idea behind Helldorado was to create a super blonde barley wine that could still carry the strong barrel character imparted by these intense spirits barrels,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson, “You’ll want to expect the unexpected with this beer.”

Naked & Unafraid

Helldorado was originally brewed to fill a stylistic gap in Firestone Walker’s barrel-aged Anniversary Ale blending program, which is composed of eclectic component ales.

“A few years into the program, we noted that all of our barrel-aged components were really dark and thick,” Brynildson said. “We needed some differentiation in color and style. It got us thinking about how cool it would be to brew this really pale blonde ale, and then age it in spirits barrels to create this naked beer with tons of pure barrel expression.”

He added, “Helldorado is made with just one malt, El Dorado hops and the barrels. I’ve resisted the temptation to blend a little something else into it. It’s just this really interesting expression of barrels beyond anything else we’ve done, and I decided that there was no need to mess with it.”

Tombstone Days

The name Helldorado comes from a fortuitous road trip that Brynildson took with his grandfather to Tombstone, Arizona—home of the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral.

“We were walking around this old-timey desert town and grandpa suggested that we go have a beer,” Brynildson said. “We went to the local saloon and there was this poster on the wall advertising a local event called Helldorado Days, depicting this evil bull scaring the crap out of some cartoon guy—Hellll-dorado!”

At the time of the Tombstone excursion, Brynildson had just begun brewing this blonde barley wine with El Dorado hops. He also knew that the German word for “pale” is hell. “It was just too perfect, so I knew right then, sitting in that saloon, that I’d found the name for the beer,” he said. 

The 2015 Helldorado is limited to 3,500 cases of 22-ounce bottles as part of Firestone Walker’s Proprietor’s Vintage Series. It will be available in select markets across the United States. The suggested retail is $16.99.

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