New Year Begins with Double Barrel Ale “Heritage” Release, Origin Stories and New 9.7-Acre Solar Array

PASO ROBLES — In early 1996, two brothers-in-law launched their humble pursuit of the perfect beer. After acquiring a second-hand brewhouse from a junkyard in Los Angeles, they went to work in a converted shed on the back-forty of the family vineyard. Their first beer was Double Barrel Ale (DBA)—and the rest is history.

Now, 25 years later, Double Barrel Ale is being recast with a new “heritage” look that draws from the original design, reacquainting beer lovers with a British-style pale ale that Adam Firestone and David Walker have brewed continuously since day one. The new-look Double Barrel Ale is rolling out to Firestone Walker’s California markets this month.

To commemorate the brewery’s 25th anniversary, Firestone Walker has also launched an oral history series and look-back video, starting with the precarious first chapter of the brewery’s existence from 1996 through 2000. The video and initial oral history can be viewed at FirestoneBeer.com/stories.

Firestone Walker has also released a new short film highlighting its sustainability initiatives under the banner of Brewing for Tomorrow, all in the spirit of looking ahead to the next 25 years by addressing three key categories: clean energy, water conservation, and waste elimination. The new short film and sustainability overview can be viewed at FirestoneBeer.com/brewing-for-tomorrow.

Firestone Walker’s sustainability initiatives have taken a massive step forward this year with the recent launch of the brewery’s new 9.7-acre solar array, which is one of the largest on-site solar arrays in the craft beer industry. This array ensures that the majority of Firestone Walker’s beer is now brewed with Central Coast sunshine, offsetting more than 3,000 metric tons of carbon emissions annually, equal to the carbon sequestered by 4,220 acres of mature forestland.

“California’s Central Coast has been our home for a few generations— we have an affection for this place and feel an obligation to treat it as well as we possibly can,” Walker said. “Solar power gives us another reason to smile.”

Added Firestone, “Even after 25 years, we still believe that we can build a brewery of the future.”

About Founded by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker in 1996, Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a California beer company with three innovative brewing facilities. Firestone Walker’s main brewery in Paso Robles produces a diverse portfolio ranging from iconic pale ales to vintage barrel-aged beers. The Barrelworks facility in Buellton makes eccentric wild ales, while the Propagator pilot brewhouse in Venice specializes in R&D beers and limited local offerings. Firestone Walker is also the brewery behind 805, one of the nation’s fastest-growing beers. Firestone Walker was recently named “Best American Brewery of the Decade” by Paste Magazine.