Cocktail Corner: Happy Anniversary to Firestone Walker Barrelworks Wild Ales

Courtesy Firestone Walker.

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! by Leslie Dinaberg 

It’s sure to be a wild party this weekend when Firestone Walker’s Wild Ale Facility in Buellton marks its fifth anniversary with a Feral One” release party on Saturday, March 3.

Time flies when you’re behaving wildly. “It seems like just yesterday that we made this big bet on what had long been a pet project,” says Jeffers Richardson, director of Barrelworks. “In the five years since opening Barrelworks, we’ve really grown into our home and taken our wild ale machinations to an entirely new level.”

The five year milestone is being marked by a party that features the release of Feral One Batch #5. Feral One Batch #1 was Barrelworks’ inaugural bottled beer release. They describe Batch #5 as “an unruly blend of six vintage base beers that were reclaimed from the barrel stacks and artfully combined to create a mouthwatering marvel.”

Courtesy Firestone Walker.

Courtesy Firestone Walker.

Barrelworks was established in 2013 after Firestone Walker’s wild ale program outgrew the main brewery in Paso Robles. It has since become known as a “cathedral of barrels” that produces an acclaimed variety of sour beers and hybrid ales under the watchful eyes of Richardson and Master Blender Jim Crooks.

The festivities take place from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 3 at Firestone Walker Barrelworks (620 McMurray Rd., Buellton). Tickets include pre-purchased bottles of Feral One Batch #5; a “pig plate” to build your own tacos or sliders (pig roasted on site); live music by The Ragged Jubilee; tastings of rare wild ales and barrel-aged beers; plus light bites while supplies last and a one-time 25% savings card good for merchandise and beer purchases (with exception of Feral One) that day.

Ticket Options:

  • $75 – includes three (3) bottles of Feral One & food plate
  • $125 – includes six (6) bottles of Feral One & food plate
  • $225 includes – 12 bottles of Feral One & food plate

    Courtesy Firestone Walker.

    Courtesy Firestone Walker.

For more details and to purchase tickets for event, click here. Check out Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine‘s spring 2017 story, “Where the Wild Brews Are,” here.

Cheers! Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on March 2, 2018.