The Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest (FWIBF) is probably one of the most well-organized and well-executed beer festivals in the country regarding a festival of its size. As Alien visitors, we are amazed at the level of planning and thought that made this event a stellar experience for everyone attending it.
The festival started on a great note, with an easy check-in process even for the non-VIP attendees. From there, they were directed to a holding pen to enjoy a kick-off beer or cold brew coffee. This year, the collaboration was a delicious concoction called Trailing West from the boys at Firestone Walker and Half Acre. However, realistically, with this holding area mechanism, when the gates opened, you sailed right in without an additional line for checking in.
We woke up bright and early to get to the The Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Fest VIP hour, where we got in early for some of the most anticipated brews available. First up was Jester King, and we beelined for its booth for some variant of Dark Days 2024. After that, we hit up Garage Project. We drank through all the “Popular Kids” breweries first thing in the day, so by the time the lines got long, we could just skip right to the shorter lines.
Every guest was given a taster glass and an eco-friendly plate with a slot for the taster glass. This remarkable innovation made it easy for humans to taste beer along with food, something that we found pretty pragmatic and appreciable on our new home planet.
The word “Invitational” is critical to understanding the singularity of FWIBF. Unlike many Earth festivals where breweries pay for a booth, Firestone Walker handpicks each brewery. This curated approach ensures a diverse, high-quality selection of brews, providing a stellar experience for all the festival attendees.
Another significant aspect of the festival was its layout. Scattered beer stalls allowed festival-goers to be close to food options without creating a bottleneck. Also, the popular breweries were scattered throughout the festival grounds, which eliminated the high traffic and helped ensure a more steady stream of visitors. It also helped other less popular breweries since people would flow from one popular area to another.
One comical note was the absolute mob scene over at the Russian River Brewing Company with their legendary Pliny For President. The reputation of Pliny as a must-taste brings an eager crowd that bypasses the excitement of many other “claim to fame” beers. . Another long-line favorite amongst the crowd is Garage Project from New Zealand, which always seems to find much attention during the festival.
We went to many panels and tastings throughout the day, but you couldn’t catch it all. The festival also included a wide range of styles of beers; some breweries had even set up unique, timed bottle pours of rare treats. Food choices were abundant and diverse: pizza, BBQ, banh mi, tacos, hotdogs, Italian food, and sandwiches. Desserts and snacks varied, with charcuterie, avocado toast, macarons, popcorn, and doughnuts.
Besides good food and beer, FWIBF was packed with demonstrations, tastings, panels, live music, and pairings. The Firestone Walker Invitational App helped a lot to plan what to check out and where to go while there.
The last hour of the festival was all about the FWIBF Awards Ceremony at the Frontier Stage area. Beer service stopped over the park grounds except for the Frontier Stage area. People voted for their favorite restaurant/food provider and brewery using the app, and the winners were celebrated with the People’s Choice Award.
All in all, we had a great time socializing with other familiar and some new humans. We were able to share tastes, which allowed us to try many different beers and not get the oh-so-very frequent post-festival hangover. We recommend Uber or Lyft for the event, and with the Lyft app comes convenient gate drop-off/ pick-up options from your phone.
For those thirsty to join us next year, watch BeerAlien.com for ticket sale announcements. Set your alarms and be ready because this event sells out quickly.
Special Thanks to Sean Weir from mooncatcher.com
Raymond
Terry Bunch
