Firestone Walker Launches in Minnesota; Brewmaster Homecoming

From Firestone Walker:

Paso Robles, CA —The beers of Firestone Walker Brewing Company are finally ready to reach the North Star State with distribution across Minnesota scheduled to begin this week with numerous launch events.

“We are grateful to all of the craft beer lovers in Minnesota who have been clamoring for our beers, and who helped make this happen,” said David Macon, the brewery’s vice president of sales and marketing. “We are excited to finally be able to share our beers with them.”

Distribution in Minnesota will be handled by Artisan Beer Company and Johnson Brothers Liquor Company. The initial featured Firestone beers will be Firestone Lager, Luponic Distortion, Nitro Merlin Milk Stout, Pivo, and Union Jack.

“The State of Minnesota has an incredible and thriving craft beer community,” said Todd Johnson, CEO of the locally owned Artisan Beer Company. “The level of buzz and excitement surrounding the arrival of Firestone Walker is almost unprecedented. They’ve been waiting a long time for this one. We are honored and frankly excited ourselves to be able to share this fantastic portfolio of craft beers with people throughout the State of Minnesota.”

Firestone Walker’s distribution in Minnesota feels like a homecoming for the brewery’s longtime brewmaster, Matt Brynildson, who will be attending several local launch events.

“It’s hard to describe how great it feels to finally be able to send our beers into my home State of Minnesota!” he said. “For the first time since becoming the brewmaster at Firestone Walker 17 years ago, the beers that I helped to create will be available in my family’s restaurant in Litchfield. The long wait is finally over and I can’t wait to get back and have a pint of our beer with my dad.”

Firestone Walker Brewing Company was founded in 1996 by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker. After celebrating its 20^th anniversary in 2016, the brewery finished a state-of-the-art brewhouse extension the following year, allowing for measured growth into new states.

With the launch of Minnesota distribution, Firestone Walker’s national distribution map will total 33 states.

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Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a pioneering regional craft brewery founded in 1996 and located on the coast of California. Firestone Walker’s main brewery in Paso Robles produces a diverse portfolio ranging from iconic pale ales to vintage barrel-aged beers. The Barrelworks facility in Buellton makes eccentric wild ales, while the Propagator pilot brewhouse in Venice specializes in R&D beers and limited local offerings. For more information: FirestoneBeer.com.

Artisan Beer Company is Minnesota’s premier craft beer distributor serving customers throughout the state. The Artisan team is passionate about craft beer and prides itself on having the most beer knowledgeable sales team in the industry. Artisan represents some of the top local, regional, and national craft brands including Surly, Bent Paddle, Toppling Goliath, Bauhaus, Maui Brewing, Utah Brewers Cooperative and more. Artisan is a local, family-owned company, with headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota. For more information, please visithttp://artisanbeercompany.com/