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(Courtesy Firestone Walker)
2020 has been a brutal year for the beer biz thanks to COVID-19. And now Firestone Walker is signaling that 2021 may not be much better.
On December 8, Firestone Walker Brewing, one of the most popular and accomplished craft breweries in the nation, announced that it had cancelled its two biggest festivals planned for next year, the Firestone Walker Invitational, and From the Barrel, its annual celebration of craft beer and spirit born from the barrel.
Due to COVID-19 guidelines for gatherings in California both festivals had already been canceled in 2020.
It was hoped that both would return next year. But last week’s announcement from the Paso Robles, California-based brewery dashed those expectations.
This from Firestone Walker Brewing…
Friends,
Our passion for beer is driven by the fact that it is, by nature, a social beverage.
Which is why it pains us to let you know that two of our signature events—From the Barrel and the Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest—will be postponed for 2021.
The good news is that we plan for From the Barrel to return on April 8, 2022, and for the Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest to return on June 4, 2022.
If you are 2020 From the Barrel or Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest ticket holders who chose to hold onto your ticket, you may still opt to do so—your ticket will be honored in 2022. You may also request a full refund, simply follow these instructions.
Delaying the return of these events was an agonizing decision for us, but we concluded it’s the right thing to do based on a variety of factors.
Our plan is to innovate some new virtual events and possibly some smaller in-person experiences to help cross the bridge into 2022. We will be in touch as those take shape.
Let’s continue to gather—virtually for now, and when the time is right, together.
We can’t wait.
Assuming the world gets back normal, Firestone Walker’s From the Barrel will return to the Santa Margarita Ranch next year.
And we’ll be able to drink away two lost years at the Firestone Walker Invitational in Pas Robles as well when, hopefully, COVID-19 finally gets put down.
