This is the story of two brothers-in-law, Adam Firestone (The Bear) and David Walker (The Lion). Adam Firestone grew up on the central coast of California in wine country. In fact, all the equipment Firestone Walker started off with was converted wine making equipment which I will get into more detail later when I talk about their environmental efforts. All the bear needed was a business partner so he approached David Walker, who just happened to be married to Adam’s sister. David was from Great Britain and so he brought in his European spin to the business. So then the pair dreamed of being a brewery that combined old world craft and the innovative California spirit.
Firestone Walker opened in 1996 with the slogan ” Beer Before before Glory.” They brew everything from pale ales to heavy barrel-aged beers in their state-of-the-art facility in Paso Robles, California. They also have locations in Buellton and Venice. They brew wild ales in the Buellton location and R&D beers in Venice. For all my Duvel fans, these guys partnered with them in 2015 to expand their reach.
Brewing for the Future
One thing that is very important to the Firestone Walker family is sustainability. Georgie Walker, David Walker’s daughter, actually did their sustainibility report just last year.
Energy
Firestone Walker minimizes energy in every aspect of the brewery. All of tanks are insulated in the brewhouse and they also use kettle steam recovery systems that not only saves energy but also water. They also recover energy by capturing heat while the wort cools. There is also LED lighting throughout the whole campus which makes the energy efficiency go up 75 percent.
Recycling
These guys want the least amount of waste possible and so whatever they can find a repurpose for they will repurpose. One example is that their spent yeast and grains goes to the feeding of local livestock. Also most of their equipment comes in bulk which reduces waste on incoming materials. Also guys this even goes to the distribution part of the business but what I found super interesting was this area they call the Boneyard. They basically put scraps that can be used for something else later. For example, one of their tables in the Venice location is made out of an old whirlpool.
Water
As Californians, these guys know how important water is and so the brewhouse makes sure they use every tool they can to save water. Remember when I was talking about them donating wort to the livestock? Well that saves up to 3,000 gallons of water per turn. They even have a wastewater treatment facility on campus which they opened in 2015. This facility treats their outflow water which benefits the local community.
Come out to Janeys to try some of there brews. Until next time Hoppy Travels!