California`s Central Coast Gets a Taste of Ale
California is known for its incredible weather, its pristine beaches, and delicious, exceptional wines. Who would have thought that a brewery would be so successful? Meet Adam Firestone and David Walker, owners and beer makers of Firestone Walker Fine Ales. The two brothers-in-law opened this brewery in 1996, and have taken it from local popularity to statewide acclaim, with distribution from San Diego to San Francisco. Using a British beer-making method, these two men, one an English emigrant, the other a local vintner, witnessed international fame when they were awarded the `2004 World Beer Cup Champion Brewery` for the Mid-Size Brewing Company category.
The original brewery was located in a small private building on a remote corner of the Firestone Vineyard estate in rural Santa Barbara County. Leading with its flagship Double Barrel Ale, the brewery initially limited its distribution to three counties on the Central Coast. `We never felt entitled to growth,` Walker said. `We felt that growth was an outcome of quality, something to be earned. We didn`t get ahead of ourselves. We kept our focus on quality.`In 2001, Firestone and Walker moved their brewing operations to a new brewery in Paso Robles, which also features a taproom bar. They also opened a taproom bar in Buellton, the Santa Barbara County wine country town that starred in the hit movie `Sideways`. In 2004, the bar was expanded into a full-service restaurant called The Taproom at Firestone Walker Brewing Company.
Firestone Walker Fine Ales today boasts a small family of premium beers: Double Barrel Ale, Firestone Pale Ale, Firestone Lager and Walker`s Reserve. Each has received significant acclaim in beer circles, creating what `All About Beer` magazine called `a white-hot run of medals` at major beer competitions. `From the beginning, we were confident that we were creating something new and different,` Walker said. `Our beers offer the complexity of a craft brew, but with an elegance that embraces the average consumer.`
At the heart of the Firestone Walker Fine Ales experience is the brewery`s Firestone Union oak barrel brewing system, a variation on the classic Burton Union brewing method, which was responsible for producing some of England`s finest ales in the 19th century. This costly, labor-intensive method became virtually extinct in modern brewing with the advent of stainless steel tanks. But Firestone and Walker, inspired by both their British heritage and family winemaking experience, were determined to restore the union tradition. Firestone Walker Fine Ales today remains the only American brewery to employ the union oak barrel brewing method, which brings a distinctive quality and dimension to its beers.
Related News:
