Firestone Repeats As Champion mid-sized Brewery For Third Time
3,330 Entries Compete for Awards in the “Olympics” of Beer
2010 World Beer Cup® is Largest Commercial Competition Ever
BOULDER, CO • April 10, 2010—Brewers from six continents earned awards from an elite international panel of judges this week in the 2010 Brewers Association World Beer Cup—the world’s largest-ever commercial beer competition. The eighth bi-annual competition announced awards to brewers from 19 countries ranging from Australia and Italy to Iceland and Japan.
This year, 642 breweries from 44 countries and 47 U.S. states vied for awards with 3,330 beers entered in 90 beer style categories. The entries in each category were eligible for gold, silver and bronze awards. Judges presented a total of 268 awards. The 2010 World Beer Cup eclipsed the record of the Brewers Association’s own Great American Beer Festival (GABF) to become the largest commercial competition ever. There were 3,308 entries judged in the 2009 GABF, compared to the 2010 World Beer Cup’s 3,330 entries judged.
“Brewers from around the globe participate in the World Beer Cup to win recognition for their creativity and brewing ability,” said Charlie Papazian, president of the Brewers Association, the U.S.-based trade association that has put on the competition every two years since 1996. “For a brewer, a World Beer Cup gold award allows them to say that their winning beer represents the best of that beer style in the world.”
Champion Brewery/Champion Brewmaster Awards
In addition, the competition bestows Champion Brewery and Champion Brewmaster awards in each of five brewery categories based on the awards won by each brewery. Four of the five are first-time Champion award winners.
The Champion Brewery/Brewmaster award winners are:
Large Brewing Company Category
Asia Pacific Breweries Limited, Singapore
APB Brewing Team
Mid-Size Brewing Company Category
Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles, Calif.
Matthew Brynildson
Small Brewing Company Category
Ballast Point Brewing Company, San Diego, Calif.
Ballast Point Brewers
The complete list of award winners is available for download. Photos also are available on the website WorldBeerCup.org.
Inside the Barrel
Brewmaster Matt Brynildson of Firestone Walker Brewing Company was recently featured in the January 2010 edition of All About Beer magazine. Check out the feature article, “Inside the Barrel”, for a look at how Firestone Walker Brewing Company is defined in the industry as one of two breweries in the world that use the Burton Union barrel system for oak barrel fermentation. A lot of other American craft breweries have started to realize the potential of utilizing oak barrels in the brewing process but none have dedicated to the traditional craft of barrel fermentation in a union of oak barrels.
Firestone Walker’s Union Jack Impresses At EBSA
Firestone Walker Wins At International Competition
Firestone Walker Adds 2 Medals With Wins At European Beer Star Award
Paso Robles, CA, November 20, 2009 – Firestone Walker Brewing Company was awarded 2 medals at the 2009 European Beer Star Award competition in Germany this past week. This adds to their already impressive list of medals this year from the 2009 Great American Beer Festival.
Firestone Union Jack IPA, took a silver medal in the extremely competitive India Pale Ale category. Union Jack was awarded a gold medal in 2008 at the EBSA and most recently took gold at the Great American Beer Festival. Firestone Walker’s Honey Blonde took a bronze medal in the competition.
The European Beer Star Award, in its sixth year, honors special and authentic beers with a character of their own, beers that stand out in taste and quality and which best fit their respective category’s criteria. A total of 836 beers from 36 countries were judged blind across 41 different categories. Winning beers were awarded based on quality and their ability to fit their respective category’s criteria.
Established in 1996 on California’s Central Coast, Firestone Walker is a regional brewery committed to making the world’s best pale ales. Firestone Walker also remains the only American brewery to ferment beer in a union of oak barrels. Firestone Walker Brewing Company was named “Mid-Size Brewing Company of The Year” at the 2007 and 2003 Great American Beer Festivals and “Champion Brewery” for the category of Mid-Size Brewing Company at the 2006 and 2004 World Beer Cups.
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Firestone Walker To Release “13″ Anniversary Ale On Nov. 14
Firestone Walker Will Release Anniversary Ale At Special Event On November 14th
Paso Robles, CA, October 20, 2009 – Firestone Walker Brewing Company announced the release of their much anticipated anniversary beer, “13” today. This annual release will go on sale for the first time at noon on November, 14th at the Firestone Walker Brewery in Paso Robles and the Firestone Walker Taproom Restaurant in Buellton.
Firestone’s anniversary series, a unique blend of barrel aged beers, has become quite a phenomenon each year as beer fans from all over the U.S. seek out this special limited release. In years past releases have sold out at the brewery in just a few weeks and these beers have garnered a hefty price tag in the market.
“These unique barrel aged beers have really changed the public’s perception of beer,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “The care and time that went into this blend is more akin to wine than beer,” he added.
Brynildson again enlisted the help of Paso Robles area wine makers to assist in the blending of several barrel-aged beers into the final product. Barley wines, imperial stouts and an imperial brown are just a few of the beers making up the final blend. Many of the component beers have spent over 2 years aging in a combination of retired bourbon, rye, and wine barrels. This process contributes unique and one-of-a kind flavors not typically found in beer.
The anniversary release will be available to select accounts in limited quantities throughout California, Arizona, Nevada, Washington and Oregon later in November. Only 1000 cases of this vintage beer were made and Firestone Walker co-founder David Walker doesn’t expect it to last long.
“Our anniversary beers have become somewhat of a phenomenon. Each year beer fans make the pilgrimage to the brewery to get this limited release and before we know it, it’s gone,” said co-founder David Walker.
The release party on the 14th of November will also feature music, food and a few other special beers only available at the brewery. Bottles of “13” will be on sale for $21.99 plus tax with a 12 bottle limit per person to insure that everyone has an opportunity to purchase. For more information on the “Release Party” at the Firestone Walker Brewing Company call Veronica Jaurez at 805-225-5911 extension 607.
Established in 1996 on California’s Central Coast, Firestone Walker a regional brewery committed to making the world’s best pale ales, Firestone Walker remains the only American brewery to ferment beer in a union of oak barrels. Firestone Walker Brewing Company was named “Mid-Size Brewing Company of The Year” at the 2007 and 2003 Great American Beer Festivals and “Champion Brewery” for the category of Mid-Size Brewing Company at the 2006 and 2004 World Beer Cups.
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Firestone Union Jack IPA - Back to Back Gold Medals at GABF
Firestone Walker Brewing Company collected a total of 3 medals at The Great American Beer Festival held in Colorado this past weekend. This adds to a long list of accolades for the brewery.
The biggest success was Firestone’s Union Jack IPA which was judged the best in the Festival’s single largest contest, the India Pale Ale category. What was rarer still was that the beer won this accolade for the second year in a row. This is the first back to back win in this category in decades. Though launched only a few years ago, Union Jack has now won many of the beer industry’s top awards including wins at the European Beer Star Awards and the World Beer Cup in 2008.
The brewery’s other wins came with Firestone Extra Pale, which was awarded a silver medal and Nectar IPA which took a bronze in the American strong pale ale category.
“We are honored to have done so well in the most competitive category at the festival this year. This really is a testament to the passion of our brew staff in making the world’s best pale ales,” said co-proprietor David Walker.
The Great American Beer Festival is the largest beer competition in the world. More than 132 judges labored for three days to evaluate 3,308 beers and pick the best entries and top breweries for this year’s competition. Over 49,000 beer lovers attended the festival this year sampling beers from 457 different breweries from all over the United States.
Established in 1996 on California’s Central Coast, Firestone Walker is a regional brewery committed to making the world’s best pale ales. Firestone Walker also remains the only American brewery to ferment beer in a union of oak barrels. Firestone Walker Brewing Company was named “Mid-Size Brewing Company of The Year” at the 2007 and 2003 Great American Beer Festivals and “Champion Brewery” for the category of Mid-Size Brewing Company at the 2006 and 2004 World Beer Cups.
Union Jack Named Top IPA At Washington IPA Challenge
Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA, Marin Brewing White Knuckle Double IPA, and Rock Bottom Bellevue Hop Bomb Take Top Honors at the 2009 Washington IPA Challenge
Contact: Geoff Kaiser
Seattle, WA (8/22/09) – On Saturday, August 22, 16 judges gathered at Beveridge Place Pub, located in Seattle, Washington, for a blind evaluation of 36 IPA and Imperial IPA entries. The Washington IPA Challenge was a chance for some of Washington’s breweries, very few of which distribute beer outside of the Northwest, to compete with select well-regarded IPAs from around the country.
In this inaugural year of the Challenge, Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA, from Firestone Walker Brewing Co. in Paso Robles, California, was judged the winning IPA out of 19 entries. Marin White Knuckle Double IPA, from Marin Brewing Company in Larkspur, California, was judged the winning Imperial IPA out of 17 entries. Congratulations to both breweries for winning a competition that was packed with outstanding examples of the styles. For the rest of the field, the saying “Everyone is a winner” truly applied to the IPAs in this competition. As this was a competition with a Washington focus, a big congrats goes out to Big Time Brewing for taking second place in the IPA category with their Scarlet Fire IPA!
Beveridge Place Pub also had 12 Washington IPAs on tap for the occasion for public consumption, and customers voted for their favorites. The tap handles were blank, with only numbers to order samples by so that there was no bias in the customers’ voting. Rock Bottom Hop Bomb IPA, from the Rock Bottom in Bellevue, Washington, tallied the most votes (in a serious landslide) to claim the Customer Favorite award from the Challenge. For the Hop Bomb, this award follows up a Gold medal at GABF in 2008 and a Silver medal at GABF in 2007. Cheers to brewer Brian Young for his continued success!
For more complete results of the Challenge, please visit Seattlebeernews.com. This year’s winners will be invited back to defend their crown in 2010.
Participating beers in the IPA category: Northern Lights IPA (WA), Cigar City Jai Alai IPA (FL), Laurelwood Workhorse IPA (OR), Silver City Indianola IPA (WA), Three Floyds Alpha King (IN), Anacortes IPA (WA), Green Flash West Coast IPA (CA), Big Time Scarlet Fire (WA), Rock Bottom (Bellevue) Hop Bomb (WA), Diamond Knot IPA (WA), Pike IPA (WA), Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA (CA), Boundary Bay IPA (WA), Stone IPA (CA), Snoqualmie Wildcat IPA (WA), Bell’s Two Hearted Ale (MI), Victory Hop Devil (PA), Big Al IPA (WA), and Elysian Immortal IPA (WA).
Participating beers in the Imperial IPA category: Russian River Pliny the Elder (CA), Silver City Whoop Pass Double IPA (WA), Three Floyds Dreadnaught (IN), Diamond Knot Industrial IPA (WA), Pike Double IPA (WA), Firestone Walker Double Jack (CA), Boundary Bay Imperial IPA (WA), Stone Ruination IPA (CA), Victory Hop Wallop (PA), Elliott Bay Hoppus Collosum (WA), 7 Seas Ballz Deep Double IPA (WA), Hair of the Dog Blue Dot IPA (OR), Port Brewing Hop 15 (CA), Maritime Imperial IPA (WA), Marin Brewing White Knuckle Double IPA (CA), Elysian Hubris Imperial IPA (WA), and Oskar Blues Gordon (CO).
About Washington Beer: The state of Washington boasts over 80 active breweries, very few of which distribute their beer outside of the state or the Northwest. The majority of the nation’s hops are grown in the state of Washington (63 million lbs out of a total 80 million lbs in 2008), and the state ranks fourth among the top barley-producing states. Craft brewing pioneer Bert Grant (1928 – 2001) established the first modern day brewpub in the United States in Yakima, Washington, and he also led the charge to revive the India Pale Ale style in this country. Bert would be proud to see all of the Washington IPAs that have followed in his footsteps.
Firestone Walker Expands Into Two States
Firestone Walker Brewing Company Expands Into Two StatesFirestone Announces Release of Beers Into Arizona & Washington Paso Robles, CA, May 1, 2009 –
Firestone Walker Brewing Company announced their expansion into the states of Arizona and Washington today. The brewery is partnering with Hensley Distributing, covering the greater Phoenix and Prescott Valley areas in Arizona and K&L Distributing in Washington covering the Seattle metro area.
“We are excited to offer these award-winning pale ales to our consumers,” said Andy McCain, Hensley’s CFO. “Hensley is proud to represent such a distinct line of craft brews from Firestone Walker Brewing Company,” McCain added.
DBA, aka Double Barrel Ale, Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s flagship, Pale 31 and Union Jack IPA will be available beginning May 1 to Washington beer fans and the following month to Arizona. Beer lovers in both states can look forward to 22-oz. bottles, six-packs, and a limited draft selection of Firestone Walker’s three pale ales initially. An expanded draft selection will be available later in the summer.
DBA is a British style pale ale partially fermented in a union of oak barrels, a traditional, mid 19th century British brewing method. Pale 31 is a classic California style pale ale and Union Jack, gold medal winner this past year at the Great American Beer Festival, is an India Pale Ale.
“Our singular goal is to make the world’s best pale ales and we’re always excited to share them with a new market,” said Proprietor David Walker.
Established in 1996 on California’s Central Coast, Firestone Walker a regional brewery committed to making the world’s best pale ales, Firestone Walker remains the only American brewery to ferment beer in a union of oak barrels. Firestone Walker Brewing Company was named “Mid-Size Brewing Company of The Year” at the 2007 and 2003 Great American Beer Festivals and “Champion Brewery” for the category of Mid-Size Brewing Company at the 2006 and 2004 World Beer Cups.
Firestone Walker Brewing Company Introduces Seasonal Beers
Firestone Announces Release of Four Seasonal Brews For 2009 Paso Robles, CA, February 10, 2009 – Firestone Walker Brewing Company announced their first official release of seasonal beers today. There will be four limited draft-only releases in 2009 starting March 1. Each release will consist of less than 100 kegs and be available to select accounts throughout California.
The first release on March 1 will be a Belgian pale called Little Opal, which was originally released on a limited basis in select test markets last year.
“We have found a real interest in a seasonal beer program from our customers,” said Proprietor David Walker. “Little Opal was so well received last year, it made complete sense to make it the first of our seasonal beer releases. It is a lighter, low-alcohol beer full of flavor and ideal for a spring release,” he added.
Following Little Opal will be a double IPA version of Firestone’s already popular Union Jack to be called Double Jack which will be available in June. September will bring Oaktoberfest, a Vienna-style lager which the brewery has made in the past for its annual Oaktoberfest event. Oaktoberfest was awarded a silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival and a bronze medal at the European Beer Star awards, both in 2008. November will see the release of Velvet Merkin, an oatmeal stout which won a silver medal at the 2008 Great American Beer Festival and a bronze medal at the 2008 World Beer Cup.
“These beers will be a great addition to our current lineup and will allow the brew team to experiment a bit with some interesting styles of beer,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson.
Established in 1996 on California’s Central Coast, Firestone Walker a regional brewery committed to making the world’s best pale ales, Firestone Walker remains the only American brewery to ferment beer in a union of oak barrels. Firestone Walker Brewing Company was named “Mid-Size Brewing Company of The Year” at the 2007 and 2003 Great American Beer Festivals and “Champion Brewery” for the category of Mid-Size Brewing Company at the 2006 and 2004 World Beer Cups.
Firestone Walker Wins At International Competition
Firestone Walker Adds 3 Medals With Win At European Beer Star Award
Paso Robles, CA, November 19, 2008 – Firestone Walker Brewing Company was awarded 3 medals at the 2008 European Beer Star Award competition in Germany this past week. This adds to their already impressive list of medals this year from the 2008 World Beer Cup and 2008 Great American Beer Festival.
Firestone’s newest beer, Union Jack IPA, took top honors in the extremely competitive India Pale Ale category with a gold medal. Both of Firestone Walker’s seasonal beers, Oaktoberfest, a Vienna-style Lager and Honey Blonde also took bronze medals in the competition.
The European Beer Star Award, in its fifth year, honors special and authentic beers with a character of their own, beers that stand out in taste and quality and which best fit their respective category’s criteria. A total of 688 beers from 32 nations were judged blind across 42 different categories. Winning beers were awarded based on quality and their ability to fit their respective category’s criteria.
“We are again humbled to be recognized as one of the world’s best producers of the pale ale style,” said co-owner David Walker. “Our Union Jack IPA has proven to be a phenomenal addition to our great lineup of pale ales this year,” he added.
Established in 1996 on California’s Central Coast, Firestone Walker is a regional brewery committed to making the world’s best pale ales. Firestone Walker also remains the only American brewery to ferment beer in a union of oak barrels. Firestone Walker Brewing Company was named “Mid-Size Brewing Company of The Year” at the 2007 and 2003 Great American Beer Festivals and “Champion Brewery” for the category of Mid-Size Brewing Company at the 2006 and 2004 World Beer Cups.
Firestone’s “XII” Anniversary Ale To Be Released
Firestone Walker Releases “XII”
Firestone Walker Will Release Anniversary Ale At Special Event On November 8th
Paso Robles, CA, October 30, 2008 – Firestone Walker Brewing Company announced the release of their much anticipated anniversary release “XII” today. This annual release will go on sale for the first time on November, 8th at noon at the Firestone Walker Brewery in Paso Robles.
Firestone’s anniversary series, a unique blend of barrel aged beers, has become quite a phenomenon each year as beer fans from all over the U.S. seek out this special limited release. Last year’s release, “Eleven”, sold out at the brewery in just over a week and celebrated 11 years of business for the brewery.
“Not only has this project allowed us to explore the boundaries of what we can do with beer, it has gained a real following from fans all over the U.S.,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson.
Brynildson enlisted the help of Paso Robles area wine makers to assist in the blending of several barrel-aged beers into the finished product. Parabola, a Russian Imperial Stout and Ruby, an Imperial Amber are just two of the beers making up the final blend. Some of the component beers have spent over 2 years aging in a combination of retired bourbon, rye, and wine barrels. This process contributes unique and one-of-a kind flavors not typically found in beer.
The anniversary release will be available to select accounts in limited quantities throughout California and Oregon later in the month. Only 600 cases of this vintage beer were made and Firestone Walker co-founder David Walker doesn’t expect it to last long.
“Our anniversary beers have become somewhat of a phenomenon. Each year beer fans make the pilgrimage to the brewery to get this limited release and before we know it, it’s gone,” said co-founder David Walker.
The release party on the 8th of November will also feature a few other special beers only available at the brewery. Bottles of “XII” will be on sale for $19.99 plus tax with a 12 bottle limit per person to insure everyone has an opportunity to purchase.
Established in 1996 on California’s Central Coast, Firestone Walker a regional brewery committed to making the world’s best pale ales, Firestone Walker remains the only American brewery to ferment beer in a union of oak barrels. Firestone Walker Brewing Company was named “Mid-Size Brewing Company of The Year” at the 2007 and 2003 Great American Beer Festivals and “Champion Brewery” for the category of Mid-Size Brewing Company at the 2006 and 2004 World Beer Cups.
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