BEERventure

Firestone Walker Invitational Beerfest – Paso Robles, CA

This post is a little overdue, but let me just start with saying, oh Firestone……..you really do know how to impress a girl! With a fabulous list of top microbreweries and great local restaurants serving samples of heaven, an Invitational Beerfest like this really does sound like a dream. Doesn’t it? Well this summer Firestone Walker Brewing Co. pulled it off, and they did it quite well.

There was quite a bit of hype about this event; this was the first time Firestone has ever put together a beerfest where only invited breweries were able to participate. Tickets were very limited and sold out quickly. Just as soon as I heard about it from an Industry friend, we purchased tickets shortly after. Set in beautiful Paso Robles, near Firestone Walker’s actual brewery, it was evident that this was going to turn into a mini-BEERcation for us. Indeed it did, with the main attraction fulfilling every expectation it set out to achieve.

As soon as I walked into the gates of the fairgrounds, I could tell this beer festival was going to be different than any of the local ones I’ve attended in the past. Part of the welcome gift included a bamboo plate, along with a napkin and utensils, telling me that the food at the festival was more than just a background actor in the show. There was a notch in the corner of the plate where the stem of the beautiful Firestone Walker Invitational Beerfest tasting glass was to reside between sips.  Everyone was also handed a booklet with a list of each brewery and what they were sampling, and a pencil to take notes if desired. Each brewery was required to have at least one session beer and one “rare” beer, but there were many who had more available, either rotating throughout the day or a third on tap.

There were a total of 40 breweries present, and all were among the well known and respected names in Craft Beer. With each booth having two or more beers on tap at any given time, it was impossible to be able to taste every beer available (If there is a champion among us who has, please make yourself known!). Planning a strategy was a must at this event, and I found myself attempting to make beers I have never tried a top priority.

My favorites tended to be the lighter or seasonal beers, the kind that was “easy drinking” while outside in 80 degree weather:

*Boneyard Brewing – Femme Fatale

 

*The Bruery – Hottenroth

*The Lost Abbey – Lost & Found

 

*Moylan’s Brewing Company – Pomegranate Wheat Ale

*Nebraska Brewing Company – Violet Tendencies

*Russian River Brewing Co. – Blonde Saison

*Three Floyds Brewing Company – Zombie Dust

There were a few other beers such as the Firestone Walker Succubus, Golden Road Hudson Porter, Russian River Supplication, and the Sierra Nevada Knock on Wood that were quite good, but to me, a bit heavy while you’re drinking it in the sun. I don’t know…..maybe I’m just a wuss.

I won’t even get started on the amazing food samples the featured restaurants provided. That would be a whole other blog post in itself (maybe two). To put it simply, there was some amazing food to be had, not just the typical crackers and pretzels you would see at other beerfests. If you weren’t there, you missed out, sorry! To add to the beverage and food delight, there was also live music throughout the day, as well as a stage area under some shade where we were able to listen to some Q&A from the brewers.

For a first-time event Firestone and the sponsors did an amazing job putting this together. It was a great experience and according to Firestone’s website, the event will continue for 2013! If you see ticket information on this event, seriously, don’t hesitate to purchase! You’ll be SOL, while I’ll be having all of the fun.

Most of what made this event and weekend such a success was the ability to enjoy it with some great company! I’d like to thank my wonderful friend LeAnn Hubbard and her husband Brian, as well as Michael and Vanessa Andrews for their awesome hospitality!

Firestone Walker Invitational Information:

http://www.firestonebeer.com/mingle/fw-invitational-beer-fest.php