Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest 2014 (#FWIBF)
/Saturday is the day, Firestone Walker will open the gates on its annual Invitational Beer Fest at Pioneer Town in beautiful Paso Robles. This is my favorite event of the year and I've been patiently waiting for the official release of this year's beer lineup. Today, the wait is over, Firestone Walker has been tweeting the line up this morning (follow live @FirestoneWalker on Twitter) and I've been busily collecting those tweet and writing them down. So without further ado this year's Firestone Walker Beer fest lineup. If you're interested in the map of the Festival you can get it in the Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest iPhone App. Download the Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest iPhone App from the App Store or if you're on an Android device you can get it here.
Last Year's Firestone Walker
Green Flash: Black Flanders, an 11% one-off they made just for #FWIBF! They are also bringing, their "session" White IPA sitting in at 7% abv (that's a hell of a session) and a bonus beer, Road Warrior, a 9% Imperial Red Rye IPA.
Surly Brewing is bringing 6.66% Pentagram and their Russian Imperial Stout, Darkness! And I'm sure a few more surprises.
Boneyard Brewing is bringing Bone Light, Notorious Triple IPA & RPM IPA.
New Zealand Brewers, Eight Wired Brewing are bringing their Saison/APA hybrid, Farmhouse Pale Ale and a Chardonnay Barrel Aged Saison.
Cigar City is bringing Tangerine-Orange Berliner Weisse as their session beer and a riot free, hopefully, 2014 Hunaphu's Imperial Stout.
Rahr Brewing is bringing Stormcloud British Style IPA and their Barrel Aged Bucking Bock.
Hollister Brewing Co. is pouring Gose Tiny Bubbles and Fire Dragon an India Red Ale.
German Brewers Mahr's Bräu are serving Der Weisse Bock and Ungespundetes Hefetrüb.
Beachwood BBQ and Brewing is pouring Foam Top, System of a Stout, Amalgamator, and Denver Jackhammer. Julian Shrago usually brings a surprise or two.
Avery Brewing Co. is pouring Lilikoi Kepolo, Maharaja, Rufus Corvus.
Russian River is bringing Dribble Belt APA, Beatification, and Pliny the Elder. The last three years Vinnie has also brought some unannounced special kegs and bottles.
Sun King Brewing is tapping Hop Up Offa That Bret, The Devil's Paintbrush, Osiris Pale Ale, & Sunlight Cream Ale.
YoHo from Japan sail in with Tokyo Black Porter & a Belgian White called Suiyobo no Neko.
Golden Road Brewing will pour Berliner Weisse, El Hefe Añejo, 329 Lager, and Heal the Bay IPA.
Revolution Brewing is bringing Rosa Hibiscus Ale, Straight Jacket Barleywine and their collaboration with Firestone Walker, Dos Osos.
Fifty Fifty Brewing is going to pour Miso Hoppy, Coffee-Vanilla Eclipse, Belgian Lipstick and Rockslide IPA.
Italian brewers Birrificio Italiano is going to be pouring Delia, Joy For Nothing, Scires 2010, and Sparrow Pit.
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project will be puckering your lips with their L’Brett d’Blackberry, Spring Bretta and Surette.
Sierra Nevada is bringing Hips Helles and Trip in the Woods.
Moonlight Brewing is tapping Reality Czeck-style Pils and their Death and Pinot.
Pizza Port is bringing Ava’s Pale Ale, 2013 Sour Beer Hunter, Beer Hunter Episode 2 and All Sixed Up!
Boulevard Brewing Co. bringing their ginger lemon wheat called Ginger Lemon Radler and Saison-Brett.
Kern River Brewing Co. are tapping Gravity Check Session IPA and their fantastic Citra DIPA.
Lost Abbey will pour Road to Helles and 2014 Red Poppy Ale. Yum!
Tiny Alpine Beer Co. will be bringing San Diego Surprise (We'll find out on Saturday) and Keene Idea West Coast DIPA.
Mikkeller will be tapping Tenderloin APA and Orange Yuzu Glad I Said Porter w/ Gran Marnier.
Day two starts now!
Alesmith Brewing is bringing some of my fun ones from San Diego, Ginger Lil’ Devil and Barrel Aged Vietnamese Speedway Stout!
Dogfish Head brewing is shipping in with Namaste, Wine Barrel Aged Black and Blue, and Burton Baton.
Bräu Fractum "Das Craft Bier" makers from Germany are flying in with Brown Ale and Progusta Harvest. Loving the international flavor of this festival.
Stone Brewing is tapping Go-To IPA, 2012 Double Bastard Ale, Enjoy By 7.4.14, and Spröcketbier. They've also been known to bring unannounced tasty treats.
Funkwerks is getting funky with their Saison, Raspberry Provincial, Deceit, and Tropic King.
Ballast Point is pouring some fantastic beers, Grunion Pale Ale, Rum Barreled Victory at Sea on Nitro, Sculpin IPA, and Sour Wench. In the immortal words of George Takei, "Oh My!"
New Belgium is coming over the Rockies with Snapshot Wheat, Transatlantique Kriek, La Folie, and Trip 19 Oyster Stout. Made with real Rocky Mountain Oysters? Just Kidding, they're real oystser that come from Taylor Shellfish Farms.
Bear Republic is making the trek south with Grand-Am and a sour red ale Tartare Rouge. Last year they too brought a secret treat.
Odell is going to tap their delicious Loose Leaf, Fifty Niner, and Dr. Acula. More white whale chasing!
Talk about white whales, Founder's will be there this year and they're bringing All Day IPA, Kentucky Breakfast Stout, and Bolt Cutter. What!?
Southern Tier Brewing is coming west with Farmer's Tan, Sonnett, and DePhunk.
And we're back with Nebraska Brewing Co. is packing EOS Hefeweizen and Romancing the Cone.
Triple Rock Brewery is coming down with Small Talk Nor-Cal Bitter, Cellarman Saison, Barrel Aged Cellarman Saison, and Bent Ear Pale Ale. Can this list get any better?
Our hosts Firestone Walker are bringing Opal, Easy Jack, and from Barrelworks' Lil Opal and Bretta Rosé. I'm sure they'll be more, they're just stringing us along.
Teasing us again, they reveal that Trumer Pils will be there pouring their Pilsner and...?
Lagunitas will also have their Pils and to quote the Firestone Walker twitter feed "...there might be some surprises, our lips are sealed."
Beavertown Brewery is braving a trip to the colonies with Quelle Saison, Heavy Water, Black Betty, and Applelation.
Austin brewers Jester King are tapping Le Petit Prince (Ooh, that sounds dirty) and Nocturn Chrysalis.
Bell's Brewing isn't bringing Oberon, but they will have Oarsman an a Bourbon Barrel Aged Cherry Stout. I guess we'll survive.
Garage Project from New Zealand is will pour Hāpi Daze, Umami Monster, Sauvin Nouveau, and Pernicious Weed. Looks like a med pot menu, be careful coming through customs gents.
Brewery Ommegang is going to pour Ommegang Hop House and Ommegang Gnomegang.
OC's own Taps Fish House and Brewery is swimming up stream with Blanche de Conundrum, Remy Ooh La La, Schwarzbie, Remy’s Pappy, Mocha Stout on Nitro and Munich-style Helles.
The Bruery is bringing the big guns Hottenroth, Humulus Lager and Black Tuesday w/ Pistachio & Vanilla. And apparently they'll be dropping Sans Pagaie, Grey Monday, & Rue d' Floyd at the top of each hour of the festival!
Three Floyds will not venture to the dark side nor will they turn Zombies to dust (at least, not that we know) and will instead pour Yum Yum and Barrel Aged Blot Out the Sun
It seems that's it, but what a list of beers! This festival is like being that proverbial kid in a candy store. Only candy doesn't get you drunk. I'm not sure how I'm going to approach this festival. There are just so many good beers to choose from and creating a plan of attack seems a daunting task. But, then again, we've got three days to figure it out. #firstworldproblem I'm so looking forward to this year's festival. Let me know in the comments what you're most looking forward to.