Firestone XPA – Details On Firestone Walker’s Newest Seasonal
(Paso Robles, CA) – Firestone Walker today unveiled its first of three seasonal offerings slated for 2024—the all-new Firestone XPA, a next-generation extra pale ale brewed with Southern Hemisphere hops and California style, available now in all Firestone Walker markets. Find it with the FW Beer Finder.
“XPA is the number one craft beer style in Australia and it’s something we’re excited to champion it here in the U.S.,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “The appeal of XPAs is obvious–they offer everything you love in a good pale ale at a crushable ABV. We fell in love with the style during our travels to hop farms across Australia and New Zealand and we were inspired to make our own.”
Firestone XPA (5% ABV) is rolling out to all Firestone Walker markets in can (12-oz six packs) and limited draft formats for the duration of winter and through the spring season into June. An early batch of Firestone XPA earned a Bronze Medal at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival in the International Pale Ale category.
Crisp, Hoppy & Crushable
Firestone XPA is built around New Zealand’s Nelson hop with its grapefruit and tropical Sauvignon Blanc qualities, all backed up with a dollop of classic Mosaic hops. The resulting beer offers a trifecta of drinkability: crisp, hoppy and crushable.
Firestone XPA also taps into Firestone Walker’s roots as a heritage brewer of California pale ales.
“Creating this beer brought a lot of joy to our production team, there was definitely some pent-up enthusiasm for pale ale brewing,” Brynildson said. “We went all in to fine-tune several test batches and nail what we were after with this beer.”
He added, “We wanted to lead with the punchy tropical qualities of the Nelson hop, and we found that adding just the right amount of Mosaic makes the fruit flavors all the more lush and expansive.”
“XPA is the predominant beer style in Australia for a reason,” said Firestone Walker Brand Director Hannah Barnett. “I think it has the potential to take the U.S. by storm at some point, or at the very least become a fixture in the American pale ale landscape. We’d like to be part of making that happen.”
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Founded in 1996 by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker, Firestone Walker is a second-generation, family-led brewery based on California’s Central Coast. Helmed by highly decorated Brewmaster Matt Brynildson, Firestone Walker’s main brewery in Paso Robles produces a diverse portfolio including 805, California’s #1 craft beer brand; Mind Haze, a top 5 national hazy IPA; and Cali Squeeze, one of the nation’s fastest-growing beer brands. The Firestone brand family also includes iconic beers such as DBA, Union Jack, and Pivo Pils, as well as the storied Vintage Series of barrel-aged strong ales led by Parabola. As a California beer company, Firestone Walker also has two additional locations: the Barrelworks wild ale cellar in Santa Barbara County and the Propagator R&D brewhouse in Venice. Firestone Walker was recently named “Best American Brewery of the Decade” by Paste Magazine. More at 805beer.com and FirestoneWalker.com
