The Lion & The Brewmaster w/Firestone Walker & Chef Hosea Rosenberg 10/10

Paso Robles, CA (23 Aug 2012/mbb)—You might call it “Firestone Walker unplugged”—a rare night of food, barrel-aged beers and brewery banter coming to Denver’s Mile High Station on October 10 as Firestone Walker Brewing Company partners with Chef Hosea Rosenberg to host “The Lion, The Bear & The Brewmaster.”

Arriving on the eve of the Great American Beer Festival® in Denver, this event will feature a vertical tasting of barrel-aged anniversary ales from the Firestone Walker library, specifically rare sold-out vintages from the previous four years: XII, XIII, XIV and XV. Rosenberg will present a bold menu of small plates created to complement each beer.

Along the way, brewery proprietors Adam Firestone (a.k.a. the bear) and David Walker (a.k.a. the lion) and Brewmaster Matt Brynildson will share stories and scuttle from inside the brewery. The conversation will be moderated by Justin Crossley of The Brewing Network.

“I have no idea what these guys will say; I hope they behave themselves,” said Jamie Smith, the brewery’s marketing guru. “Adam, David and Matt will introduce each anniversary beer and go from there. There’s no script. And if there are any skeletons in the closet, they’ll probably come out.”

The festivities will conclude with an exclusive unveiling of Firestone Walker’s newest anniversary bottling: XVI.

Rosenberg is the proprietor of Blackbelly Catering and the winner of season five of the popular Bravo network television series Top Chef. “Chef Hosea’s talent and creativity will bring the best out of each beer,” Smith said. “The pairings will be unique.”

Firestone Walker’s annual vintage anniversary ales are among the most renowned and anticipated barrel-aged beers in the craft beer industry. Each anniversary ale is composed of multiple components, drawing on a diverse selection of brews aged in retired bourbon barrels. Each year, Brynildson enlists numerous friends in the Paso Robles winemaking community to assist with selecting the final blend. The 2012 release, XVI, will be the seventh release in the series.

The Lion, The Bear & The Brewmaster will take place on October 10, 2012, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Mile High Station. The cost is $75 per person, inclusive of food, anniversary beer samples and a Firestone Walker snifter glass. Availability is limited. For tickets, visit FirestoneBeer.com