Beer News: Firestone Walker’s 30th Anniversary Year Starts Now

A milestone year anchored by timeless originals, modern evolution 
and singular focus on brewing the perfect beer
 
Paso Robles, California – Thirty years after brewing its first batch of Double Barrel Ale (DBA)  in a vineyard on California’s Central Coast, Firestone Walker enters its fourth decade with the same restless spirit that shaped its beginning. The 30th anniversary is not a look back. It is a reaffirmation of values, vision and an enduring belief that beer can be better.
 
Founded in 1996 by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker, Firestone Walker helped define what American craft beer could become. From pioneering techniques to obsessive quality standards, the brewery has spent three decades crafting beers that stand the test of time while never standing still.
 
“Thirty years in, we still believe the best beers are the ones that respect tradition but refuse to be trapped by it,” said Nick Firestone, CEO for Firestone Walker.. “This anniversary is about honoring where we came from while continuing to build a brewery that is relevant, curious and future-facing.”
 
A Story Still Being Written
Firestone Walker kicks off its 30th anniversary year with a new spot Pour It All Inthat captures the heart of the brewery’s journey. Told with humor, humility and honesty, the spot traces the path from scrappy beginnings to a multigenerational family brewery that helped shape modern American beer culture. Watch it here. 
 
Featuring founders Adam Firestone and David Walker; second-generation leader Nick Firestone; and longtime brewmaster Matt Brynildson, the spot celebrates the personalities, convictions and creative tension that forged Firestone Walker’s ethos of Beer Before Glory. It is a reminder that progress is built on belief, patience and a willingness to do things the hard way when it matters.
 
The Beer That Started It All, Reintroduced
As part of its “Cheers to 30 Years” celebration, Firestone Walker is unveiling refreshed heritage-inspired packaging across its original beers, led by DBA. Brewed continuously since 1996, DBA remains the cornerstone of the brewery and a benchmark for balance, drinkability and character.


Over the past three decades, DBA has earned widespread acclaim and dozens of medals at major competitions, helping establish Firestone Walker as one of the most consistently awarded breweries in the world. Its longevity is not an accident. It is the result of patience, restraint and a commitment to getting the details right.
 
The updated package design draws from the original label while sharpening its presence for today. It is not a reinvention. It is a reaffirmation.
 
DBA remains the only American beer partially fermented in a union of oak barrels, a technique rooted in nineteenth century British brewing. Its malt-forward profile and unmistakable balance have endured for three decades because the beer never chased trends. It simply stayed true.
 
Union Jack IPA and Pivo Pilsner will follow with similar refreshed designs later in the year. Both beers continue to rack up top honors at competitions around the globe, with Union Jack long regarded as one of the defining American IPAs and Pivo Pils consistently recognized among the world’s best pilsners. Together, they reinforce a simple truth. When quality leads, longevity follows.
 
IPAs Then, Now, and Next
Firestone Walker’s anniversary year also brings the return of Easy Jack as part of a newly curated IPA Mixed Pack. First released in 2014, Easy Jack earned a devoted following for delivering full IPA character at a sessionable strength. It returns alongside Union Jack, Firestone IPA, and a limited-edition Double IPA called Diesel Thunder.
 
Together, the pack reflects Firestone Walker’s longstanding relationship with the IPA style and its ability to evolve without losing its point of view.
 
A Year of Celebration in the Real World
The 30th anniversary will be marked throughout the year with a series of gatherings and activations designed to bring the celebration to the people and places that helped build the brand.
 
Highlights include a special 30th Anniversary Brewery Block Party during the Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival set for this May in Paso Robles, as well as Walker’s Wild Ride, a traveling series of tap takeovers and events with longtime bar and restaurant partners across the country.
 
Each activation is designed to feel personal, grounded, and rooted in community. Just like the brewery itself.
 
Thirty Years In, Just Getting Started
Over three decades, Firestone Walker has earned some of the most respected honors in the beer world, including Brewery of the Decade from Paste Magazine and multiple Brewery of the Year awards at the Great American Beer Festival. The brewery has been repeatedly recognized not just for individual beers, but for a body of work defined by consistency, restraint, and an uncompromising commitment to quality.


Those accolades are not the goal. They are the byproduct of a philosophy that values patience over hype, curiosity over complacency, and long term thinking over short term wins.
 
That same philosophy has shaped Firestone Walker’s broader impact on modern beer culture. From the rise of 805 Beer into one of the most culturally resonant beer brands in America, to the bold, fruit forward energy of Cali Squeeze, to the mind expanding, boundary-pushing world of Mind Haze, Firestone Walker has continued to evolve alongside drinkers without losing its point of view.
 
At the same time, innovation has never stopped at the margins. The Propagator R&D brewhouse in Marina del Rey serves as the brewery’s creative proving ground, a place where new ideas, techniques, and expressions are tested, refined, and sometimes quietly changed forever. It is a reminder that experimentation and discipline can coexist when the foundation is strong.
 
Thirty years in, Firestone Walker is not celebrating an ending. It is reinforcing a trajectory. One built on earned trust, creative confidence, and a belief that the future of beer belongs to those willing to keep pushing it forward.
 
“Thirty years is a milestone,” Firestone said. “The work continues.”

About Firestone Walker:

Firestone Walker proudly celebrates 30 years in 2026. Founded by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker, Firestone Walker is a family-led second-generation brewery based on California’s Central Coast. Helmed by Nick Firestone and decorated Brewmaster Matt Brynildson, Firestone Walker’s main brewery in Paso Robles produces a robust lineup of award-winning beers including 805, California’s #1 craft beer brand established in 2012; 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. More at FirestoneWalker.com. 

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