Knowing next to nothing about wine culture can be a bit overwhelming living in a region renowned for its wineries. Fortunately, however, a lone brewery provides respite for wine-weary individuals such as myself.
One of the most recognizable landmarks from Hwy 101 in Paso Robles, the
Firestone Walker Brewery produces (among many others) what is arguably the most popular beer on the central coast,
805. The brewery owes its origin to the collaboration of Adam Firestone (whose family legacy includes
Firestone Tires and
Firestone Vineyard) and his brother-in-law, David Walker. What sets Firestone Walker apart from other breweries is the use of oak barrels in the fermentation process.
The Firestone Walker campus includes a brewery as well as a restaurant, and brewery tours are offered free of charge on the half-hour on weekends and by appointment during the week. The tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and provides a history of the company, an overview of the brewing (and bottling) process, and even a few tasting samples.
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| Visitor Center/Tasting Room where the tour begins |
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| The brewing process |
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| First sampling |
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| Stainless steel fermentation vessels |
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| Second sampling |
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| Bottling equipment (can process 300 bottles per hour) |
At the completion of the tour, a beer and meal at The Taproom across from the Visitor Center seems only logical.
