The West's Best Beer Fest: Firestone Walker Invitational

Brewmaster Matt Brynildson rings the bell to open The Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival

The Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival, which claims to be “the best beer fest in the West,” again brought top brewers and beer fans to Paso Robles, California, on May 31, as it has since 2012. The festival, which had sold out in minutes four months earlier, has become known as one of the best in the world because it exists in multiple dimensions, serving lucky ticket holders, visiting elite brewers, the town, and the host brewery all at once.

The festival is special by design because Matt Brynildson, Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s renowned brewmaster, has personally invited each brewery since year one. As Brynildson has become known as a leader in his field, he’s travelled internationally, seeking out great beers and meeting talented brewers. He struggles with the invitation list year after year, insisting on brewing quality while balancing enduring friendships against a desire to bring in new exciting talent. This year 15 breweries were first timers at the festival.

Assistant Brewer Cassidy Mack Rife and Brewer-Founder Whitney Burnside of Grand Fir finish setting up for their first FWIBF - Photo by Gail Ann Williams

Whitney Burnside, founder-brewer at the two-year-old Grand Fir Brewing of Portland, Oregon, credited Matt as a friend and a mentor throughout her career as she dreamed of someday opening her own space. “It feels kind of surreal to be here pouring beers among some of the greatest,” she reflected. She credited the quality of the festival to “the relationship Matt has with all of these breweries.”

The invitation to pour comes with strings attached. Brewers or owners from each brewery must come in person to pour their own beers and talk with guests. They agree to bring rare and exciting beers, often beers brewed specifically for the festival, or in collaboration with other fest brewers. In return, the festival treats these brewers like rock stars—offering free and catered camping, meals with live music, winery tours, and even a private party for brewery guests at a local water park. During all the fun, a unique learning opportunity emerges.

Founder-Brewer Kristopher Johnson of Greenbench pours and talks brewing arts - Photo by Gail Ann Williams

Kristopher Johnson of Greenbench Brewing out of St. Petersburg, Florida, described the learning process as two-fold, as brewers share their beers and learn “from the feedback we get from other brewers we respect, and also learn about some of the techniques and processes they use and the things that interest them the most.” He was pouring an export lager which had notable malt richness while remaining remarkably dry, based on an obscure technique he’d found in German brewing texts, and brewers who had followed his online descriptions of the process were dropping by to try it.

Mountain Culture’s Jumbo Nicholas shows off one of his creations - Photo by Steve Shapiro

Breweries gain marketplace insights as well as recipe and process ideas. Jumbo Nicholas from Mountain Culture Beer Co., near Sydney Australia, said that his country lags a little behind the US in craft beer trends, so being able to talk to consumers and brewers here allows them to “see those trends and push them into the Australian brewing culture over there.”

Every year collaboration brewing projects are both planned in advance for the fest and conjured up in the comfy brewer’s campground. “You just throw a couple of brewers in a bucket and they're gonna connect – you can't really stop it,” mused Bryneldson. “So I'm not gonna take a whole lot of credit for it.”

For visitors, the festival continues to be a big deal in an era where more pedestrian festivals are doing poorly. Tickets sell out within minutes, year after year. About 3,500 people come from near and far to taste from about 350 beers from 70 breweries this year. Local chefs from 25 select restaurants offered free bites while bands played live music on the grounds through the afternoon. The event takes place at the outdoor Paso Robles Event Center, a fairgrounds venue with rustic Western charm and plenty of space to spread out.

Rare Firestone Walker Beers were poured

People waited patiently for the most sought-after beers, chatting with friends, sipping excellent beers from lesser-known excellent brewers, and enjoying the sun under straw hats. While waiting in a long line for Garage Project Brewing out of New Zealand, Cameron Iverson of LA said he has not been to any other beer festivals for a long time, but he and his dad have been coming to this one as an annual tradition since 2013. He felt that having the brewers at the booths made a significant difference. “They’re answering our questions in a good old beer nerdy way,” Iverson said. “They are bringing the stuff that they want to show off to all the people here.”

Paso Robles also benefits from the festival. Local shops, restaurants, and wineries are packed in the days around the festival. Plus, the event’s profits support Pioneer Day, a local nonprofit which produces a cherished annual celebration dedicated to maintaining the authentic cowboy heritage of a town known more and more as a winery destination.

The festival organizers have even got something for local beer fans who couldn’t score tickets or missed the excitement in February. FWIBF has expanded into a week-long craft beer event for the public. This year, Firestone Walker orchestrated a series of tap takeover events at pubs around San Luis Obispo County, followed by a “block party” with live music, barbecue, and special beers outside the brewery on Friday, and closed the weekend out with a Sunday brunch beer and food special at their pub for anyone to enjoy.

Green Cheek Brewing received the people’s choice honors at the fest

For Firestone Walker Brewing, founded in 1996 by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker, the fest is far more than an annual marketing opportunity, though they do an excellent job of offering samples of their new beers, releasing attractive branded merch, and otherwise spreading good will. The festival elevates their beer club, both in advance, as all members enjoy the benefit of an advance drawing for the right to purchase early tickets before the annual ticket buying stampede, and at the event, as any attendee may sample some rare beers that usually only club members can get. The brewery also benefits from the strong ties built between other brewers, as their international industry peers continue to be respectful and grateful for all the opportunities provided. Honoring and promoting a brewery each year that’s voted “people’s choice” – this year it was Green Cheek Brewing out of Orange County, California – adds to the goodwill and credibility of the host brewery.

The Firestone Walker Invitational continues to be a win all around. It’s not just a celebration of great beers but a coveted reinvigoration for the people who make them. Brewers get a mini vacation with education and public admiration, fans get a rare experience, Paso Robles grows as a noted destination, and Firestone Walker continues showing leadership in cultivating craft beer culture.

PRO TIPS:

To be ready for the ticket rush next winter, follow FW on social media and get your best concert ticket skills dialed in. There’s no reason to expect that the Invitational won’t sell out within minutes again when tickets go on sale in February, 2026. Or perhaps your company could become a sponsor so you’d score good karma and some passes that way. But if you are a brewer yourself, the only thing to do is to get to know Matt Brynildson and pour him a world-class beer.