Firestone Walker Brewing Company

INDY BREWBUDDIES: Of all the new Santa Barbara County industries that have popped up in the past decade or so, microbrewing has certainly kept The Santa Barbara Independent staff happiest. This past weekend in Denver, our hometown brewers excelled at the Great American Beer Festival — the world’s largest, featuring 3,930 beers from 526 breweries — with Firestone Walker Brewing Company (staff pictured above) being named the country’s best mid-sized brewer for a reportedly unprecedented third time. The brewery, which was founded in Buellton but is now based in Paso Robles, also took home three gold medals, two silver, and one bronze. Also winning from our region were Telegraph Brewing Company down on Salsipuedes Street (gold for California Ale; silver for Petit Obscura) and the new Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company in Buellton (bronze for Stagecoach Stout). See greatamericanbeerfestival.com for all the winners.