Firestone Walker Brewing Company

he next release in Firestone Walker’s Luponic Distortion revolving hop series arrives with Revolution No. 008 — a globetrotting blend of eight hop varieties from Germany, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Northwest.

E-commerce retail sales are approaching $400 billion dollars, but a mere 0.2 percent of beer — or about 3.5 million cases — was purchased online last year, according to Heineken CEO Ronald den Elzen. Den Elzen, presenting to more than 200 beer industry professionals attending yesterday’s Beer Marketer’s Insights seminar in New York City, called the shift away from brick-and-mortar purchases a “retail revolution.” By 2021, den Elzen projected that online beer sales will grow to 2.4 percent, to 53 million cases.

Indeed, the latest Anniversary Ale — dubbed XXI, signifying the Firestone Walker’s 21st year on California’s Central Coast — was once again created with guiding input from friendly local winemakers. The result is an inspired blend of five distinct beers aged in spirits barrels: Velvet Merkin (oatmeal stout, 42%), Parabola (Russian imperial oatmeal stout, 18%), Stickee Monkee (Central Coast quad, 17%), Bravo (imperial brown ale, 14%) and Helldorado (blonde barleywine, 9%).

With an infusion of local roast coffee, a dash of cocoa nibs and touch of seasonal sorcery, Firestone Walker’s signature Velvet Merlin oatmeal stout has been transformed into Mocha Merlin for fall and early winter. Mocha Merlin begins rolling out this week in draft and 12-ounce cans (six pack) formats to all Firestone Walker markets.

The third release in Firestone Walker’s Leo v. Ursus Chronology is Inferos—an unfiltered imperial rye IPA that is fiery in color, hellacious in hoppiness and loaded with spicy rye goodness.

The next release in Firestone Walker’s Luponic Distortion revolving hop series begins rolling out today with Revolution No. 007—a fresh iteration led by three hop varieties from Australia.

Straight from the R&D program at Firestone Walker’s Propagator pilot brewhouse comes Generation 1—an unfined and unfiltered IPA that is set for a limited-time draft release starting this week.

Combining the aggression of North American hops with the tranquility of traditional pilsner malts, the next release in Firestone Walker’s Leo v. Ursus Chronology achieves the improbable: a big, bold beer made for summertime sipping.

In this week’s Last Call: Multiple U.S. breweries are expanding and the original Most Interesting Man in the World talks meeting President Obama.

Beavertown Brewery and Firestone Walker Brewing Company are set to release a skeleton from the closet with “West Side Beavo” IPL—a cross-continental mashup of likeminded breweries.

Production at 25 of the top 50 Brewers Association-defined craft breweries didn’t grow last year, according new data released today by the trade organization.

In this week’s distribution roundup: Cigar City expands to Colorado, SpikedSeltzer goes national and Seattle Cider hits South Carolina.

The next release in Firestone Walker’s Luponic Distortion revolving hop series begins rolling out next week with Revolution No. 006—a blend of seven hop varieties led by two hops grown in the up-and-coming region of Michigan. Luponic Distortion Revolution No. 006 ultimately provides a vivid taste of a unique hop “terroir.”

The next release in Firestone Walker’s Luponic Distortion revolving hop series begins rolling out next week with Revolution No. 006—a blend of seven hop varieties led by two hops grown in the up-and-coming region of Michigan.