The Birth And Unexpected Success Of 805 Beer
BUELLTON, Calif. – Many local bars up and down the coast serve a beer stamped with the coastal area code of 805.
The truth of the matter is that 805 Beer was never meant to be what it has become today.
“It was a bit of dumb luck,” said David Walker, Firestone co-founder.
David Walker and Adam Firestone are the co-founders of Firestone Walker Brewing Company, located in Buellton and in Paso Robles. The company was born in 1996, and since then they’ve brewed close to 20 different beers. But nothing has struck the attention like their newest beer.
“Locally the 805 is really becoming the most popular beer. For the longest time DBA, that was our number one beer, it’s still a very popular beer, but this is slowly becoming our lead dog in the local market,” said Walker.
A few years ago 805 Beer was known as Honey Blonde Ale and it was only offered in Firestone Walker taprooms. The demand quickly grew after that. What started off as a beer for the locals grew. Before the co-founders knew it, 805 Beer was being bootlegged into northern and southern California.
“What I mean about bootleg… they drive into one of our retailers in the central coast, load up a van and then drive the beer into southern California or northern California. We sell our beer to distributors and we didn’t have a distributor selling the beer in that market. So much so that we had to broaden our distributions because we want the beer refrigerated and fresh and delivered to the market in a safe manner,” said Walker.
805 Beer is only sold in California, but for the past six months it’s been distributed all the way south to Los Angeles. In January it just became available to beer fans north of Paso Robles.
“It’s been a huge surprise for us. It’s been a little bit of a cuckoo in the nest. But we love it,” said Walker. “I think people are looking for something to call their own.”
