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Ask anyone in the craft beer universe which events are toughest to get into and they’ll likely tell you that Firestone Walker’s Invitational Beer Fest can be the definition of tough. It doesn’t matter if you’re a brewer, a connoisseur or even a member of the media – this is a hot ticket and they always sell out fast.
With the cost of admission covering access to over 50 cutting edge breweries, pouring at least 180 different rare and unique specialty brews, not to mention 25 local restaurants offering savory delights, it’s no wonder Paso Robles is the place to be this weekend.
Here are some of the things we’ll be looking forward to and will be focusing on while attending #FWIBF17…
All the First-timers: This year’s fest will feature the most new brewers since 2013, including the passionate naturalists of Arizona Wilderness, German styles from Bamberg Bier via Brazil, John Harris’ Ecliptic from Portland, the Appalachian Wild Ales of Fonta Flora, eclectic stylings from Portland’s Gigantic, the complex sours and wild ales of Jolly Pumpkin, the mind bending experimentation of Omnipollo, the haze kings of NYC in Other Half, the 
lambic masters of Oud Beersel, New England farmhouse and hazy ales from Trillium and GABF 2016’s Small Brewers of the Year, Überbrew from Montana. This list alone would be reason attend, but there’ll be another 40 more to try.
Collaboration Fest Beer: This year, London’s Beavertown Brewing and host Firestone Walker will debut a collaboration, the West Side Beavo. A 6.5% IPL that marries both the Pivo and Beavertown names, as well as hops from both sides of the pond. It should definitely hit the spot on Saturday as temps are projected in the mid-80’s.
Special Pours: With over 180 beers available to sample and only 5-6 hours to try them all, you’ve gotta prioritize because lets face it, you won’t be able to try them all. Here are a few (at least on the published list) that are already catching our eye:
3 Floyds – Lazersnake
Avery – Apricot Sour
Beachwood BBQ & Brewing – Barrel Aged Mocha Machine
Beavertown – Humuloid
Creature Comforts – Existance
Crooked Stave – Mama’s Sour Blueberry Pie
Ecliptic – Carina Peach Sour Ale
Firestone Walker – Maltose Falcons
FW Barrelworks – De La Casa with Cherimoya, La Piccola
Fonta Flora – Meemaw
Funkwerks – Peachy King
Garage Project – Mutiny on the Bounty
Gigantic – Single Barrel MASSIVE – Macallan!
Half Acre – Magick is Purple
Nebraska – MOAB (Mother of All Bettys)
New Belgium – Single Foeder #65 Sour Oscar
Omnipollo – Anagram Bourbon Barrel Aged Blueberry Cheesecake Stout (Dugges Collab)
Other Half – Daydream in Green
Revolution – Deth by Cherries
Russian River – Beatification
Side Project – Apple Brandy Derivation
Trillium – Night & Day
And so many more. Check out the entire list.
Be sure to download the official FWIBF App and don’t forget the hashtag #FWIBF17.
See you on Saturday!
