Mark Your Calendar for the ‘Best Beer Fest in the West’

Tickets go on sale this week for the festival dubbed “best beer fest in the West” — the Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival, taking place on Saturday, May 31, at the Paso Robles Event Center. One of the most popular festivals of its type, it’s a full day of food, music, and, of course, a wide assortment of craft beers. More than 65 world-renowned breweries will be in attendance, sharing a variety of more than 300 beers.

Since Firestone Walker’s founding in 1996 by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker, the brewery has grown to a worldwide reach. The year 2012 marked the first event of this festival, and it has since grown into a highly esteemed beer festival.

It’s a “one-of-a-kind celebration of beer culture,” said Firestone Walker Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. This year’s festival features 15 new first-time participants including Minoh (Osaka, Japan), Hoppy People (Sierre, Switzerland), Horus Aged Ales (Oceanside, California), Panimoyhtiö Tuju (Finland), Single Hill Brewing (Yakima, Washington), Moksa Brewing Company (Rocklin, California), Uncharted Brew Co. (Antwerpen, Belgium), Alma Mader Brewing (Kansas City, Missouri), and Lawson’s Finest Liquids (Waitsfield, Vermont). The complete list of breweries attending can be found at bit.ly/4jESMyE.

As festivalgoers enjoy plenty of good food from local artisans and award-winning restaurants, there will also be performances from two bands and “Behind the Beer” educational panels.

In celebration of this year’s festival, Firestone Walker is releasing “Wandering Don IPA,” a limited-edition IPA crafted in collaboration with Odell Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado. It’s the official beer of the festival and will be released late April.

The weekend will feature a few other events in addition to the Saturday Brew Fest. There will be a Block Party on Friday, May 30, with live music, and a “Brews and Brekky” Brunch at the Paso Robles Firestone Walker brewery on Sunday, June 1.

The festival itself also benefits the nonprofit Paso Robles Pioneer Day, which celebrates the agricultural heritage of Paso Robles each year. Proceeds will also go to the Central Coast Honor Flight, Estrella Warbird Museum, and youth sports leagues.

For casual beer enjoyers or avid fans, the festival is a must-go. The Firestone Walker Beer Fest officially begins at noon on May 31, with early admission ticket-holders allowed in at 11 a.m. It will conclude at 5 p.m. Tickets go on sale February 5 at 10 a.m. and will be available for purchase at bit.ly/4jESMyE.