The Swill: Firestone Double Barrel Ale
The Still: Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Paso Robles, California
http://www.firestonewalker.com/
The Drill: American Pale Ale, 12oz bottle, 5% ABV
The Spill: A good, solid, craft ale with as much backbone as Sierra Nevada or Samuel Adams. Hoppier than the latter, and perhaps a touch maltier than the former, and nearly as widely available as both, this flagship beer of the Firestone Walker Brewing Company epitomizes the direction that American craft breweries have taken in the last 20 years, making standard beers that jive with the basic recipe of the mass-produced types, but bigger, bolder, and generally better in every way.
Says Bill: I first drank this beer in 2004 at the Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre in Claremont, California with my friend Robert. Soon after, I was seeing it in great frequency, and have even seen and heard a few ads on radio and TV. While I think Fat Tire has outsold the DBA by and large, I seem to recall seeing this one on the menu at more of the upscale steakhouses, perhaps because the company also has a line of wines.
Refill?: There's not much of a difference between Firestone, Sam Adams, and Sierra Nevada, but then again, there's not much of a difference between Bud, Coors, and Michelob. I know which group I'd go with: 3 taps out of 5.