Overwhelming demand has brought Firestone Walker beer from one giant beer-loving state to another.
Firestone Walker Brewing Company announced today that it will begin distributing its beer to Texas over the course of the next two months. The Paso Robles, Calif.-based brewery has partnered with Brown Distributing for distribution in the greater Austin area, and with Andrews Distributing for the Dallas-Fort Worth region, which includes Arlington, Irving, Plano, Allen, Frisco and Garland.
“We receive more requests for our beer from Texas than any other states,” said David Walker, the brewery’s co-proprietor. “It’s always been our our bucket list. With our new brewhouse and a new year ahead of us, we are ready for it and on our way.”
The new distribution will be supported by the launch of Firestone’s new 60-barrel state-of the-art brewhouse, which Firestone opened in September. The facility, which brought the brewery’s capacity to 300,000 barrels, will produce a range of beers that Firestone will distribute for package and draft in Texas, including DBA, an English-style pale ale; Pale 31, a California pale ale; Union Jack, an India pale ale; and Wookey Jack, Double Jack and Walker’s Reserve, which are part of the Firestone’s Proprietor’s Reserve series.
While the new distribution in Texas will be a boon for the brewery, it is unlikely to rival sales volume and sustained growth of the brand in Firestone’s home state. Beer Marketer’s Insights reported that out of the 100,000 barrels that the brewery produced in 2011, 73,000 were sold in California, despite distribution of Firestone beer in 13 other states.
Firestone also announced that it has opened Barrelworks, a new 7,000 square-foot cellar and visitor center which will house around 1,500 barrels of aged wild beers. The facility is located in Buellton, Calif., and will also feature a tasting room for rare beer enthusiasts and self-guided tours that dissect the history, purpose and methods of production of wild-ale and barrel-aged beers.
Firestone’s press release is below:
PASO ROBLES, Calif. — The largest state in the lower 48 is set to get a taste of some of the world’s most decorated craft beers as California’s Firestone Walker Brewing Company joins forces with two distributors to launch its beers in Texas.
Distribution will begin with Brown Distributing starting on February 19 in the greater Austin area, followed by Andrews Distributing on March 18 across the Dallas-Ft. Worth region, including Arlington, Irving, Plano, Allen, Frisco and Garland.
“We receive more requests for our beer from Texas than any other state,” said brewery co-proprietor David Walker. “It’s always been on the bucket list. With our new brewhouse and a new year ahead of us, we are ready for it and on our way.”
“We are proud to bring Firestone Walker’s diverse line up of award-winning pale ales and barrel-aged beers to our North Texas and Corpus Christi retailers and beer lovers,” said Mike McGuire, President of Andrews Distributing. “Their commitment to crafting the world’s best and most interesting beers will fare well in a state thirsty for craft beer,”
Beers to be launched in both package and draft include DBA (English Style Pale Ale), Pale 31 (California Pale Ale) and Union Jack (India Pale Ale), as well as Wookey Jack, Double Jack and Walker’s Reserve from the brewery’s Proprietor’s Reserve series. Special events are being planned in both regions to coincide with the respective launches.
“We want to bring a parallel taste of Central Coast living to the Lone Star lifestyle, and we think it’s a great fit,” said Steve Almaraz, Firestone Walker’s VP of Sales.
About Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a pioneering regional craft brewery founded in 1996 and located in the Paso Robles wine country on California’s Central Coast. The brewery specializes in iconic pale ales and vintage barrel-aged beers. Firestone Walker Brewing Company was awarded Mid-Sized Brewery of The Year honors at the 2003, 2007 and 2011 Great American Beer Festivals as well as Champion Mid-Sized Brewery honors at the 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2012 World Beer Cup competitions.