Beer News – Firestone Walker Info for 2009
TheFullPint.com has more exclusive news to share with you all, on one of California’s best, Firestone Walker Brewing. Below are some very interesting tidbits on Firestone’s flagship lineup, as well as their other labels; Nectar Ales and Mission Street.
Passion for the Pales and Not-so-Pales
The turnout for Firestone Walker XII was considered to be a success. A few hundred showed up at the Paso Robles facility on November 8th to buy between one and twelve bottles of this super good strong ale. Because Firestone did not sell out, this allowed for cases to be sent to the Tap Room in Buellton, Ca. In order to spread the love, they are limiting the amount from entire case to just a few bottles per person now. They are said to be extremely happy with this, as more people will be able to sample this limited release.
When asked about their “not-so-pale” Walker’s Reserve Porter, we were told production of this beer would be more limited, as to separate it further from their Pale lineup. Speaking of other “not-so-pale” Firestone Walker brews, they are kicking around a few creative ideas to penetrate new California markets. They are thinking of sending out firkins of Unfiltered Double Barrel Ale, Unfiltered Pale 31, and Unfiltered Union Jack to some of the more famous beer bars and restaurants in order to attract new customers and established beer geeks.
Union Jack IPA, which is a sturdy hybrid English/California IPA, will be getting a new package. Much like Double Barrel Ale and Walkers Reserve, you will be able to pick up Union Jack IPA in a 22 oz bottle in early 2009. This will allow for a beer guy on a budget to enjoy the perfect amount of beer, and save a few bucks at the same time. With the rumored California liquor tax coming up, this might be a great option for some.
Nectar Ale’s Facelift
As mentioned in the last Firestone Walker news brief, Nectar Pales has been retired. In another bit of sad news, Nectar IPA will be discontinued from draft offerings. It was explained that this was another case of slow sales, and brewery inefficiency. TheFullPint.com can tell you first hand, this beer is marvelous on tap. The good news is, Red Nectar will still be available on draft in select markets, so there are still opportunities to try this on tap. As mentioned, both Red Nectar and IPA Nectar have received a slight label facelift. Check out the slightly tweaked labels, they look pretty good. There are talks of this beer going Certified Organic in the early parts of 2009. Stay tuned for that as it develops.
Mission Street IPA on its Way
Trader Joe’s grocery store has a private label agreement with Firestone Walker, that provides the specialty grocery store with Fat Weasel Ale, Jumping Cow Ale, and the GABF Award Winning Mission Street label. Because Firestone Walker is so good at making beers of the Pale variety, they are adding Mission Street IPA, which will be shipping in the next 3 to 4 weeks. Here is the label that you can look forward to seeing on your Trader Joe’s shelf. According to Firestone Walker, this will be the last private label brew they make for the specialty grocery store for a while.
The Crowns
We saw Firestone Walker change their labels, and company slogan in early 2008. Recently, you might have noticed they have new bottle caps. These caps appear to be much more simple, and almost retro looking. With that said, this small production did not go over well with the higher ups in Paso Robles, and it is expected we will see an even newer revision in months to come. All you cap collectors should get your hands on what is out there now, as they will be going bye bye soon.
