Celebrate Music & Beer with Firestone Walker and Ernie Ball on Electric Eagle IPA

Two things that we can fully get behind is beer and music. Thankfully for us, Firestone Walker Brewing and Ernie Ball, two California Central Coast well known companies, have come together on the exceptional Electric Eagle West Coast IPA.

The legendary guitar string maker Ernie Ball from San Luis Obispo has been providing music fans with the joy of guitars since 1962. Just north on Highway 101 in Paso Robles sits Firestone Walker Brewing. Now the two iconic companies have come together to create an IPA that is equal parts modern and nostalgic on the new Electric Eagle West Coast IPA.

“We’re not just beer lovers at Firestone Walker—we’re also avid musicians and music fans,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson, in a press release. “It’s why we’re stoked to partner with our friends at Ernie Ball, located down the road in San Luis Obispo, to create this limited-release collaborative beer.”

Ernie Ball, the world’s leading manufacturer of strings and accessories, has been making high-quality electric guitar and bass strings since 1962. World-class players like Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Slash, Jimmy Page, and Buddy Guy have all played Ernie Ball strings to create their unique sound.

Just as Firestone Walker, Ernie Ball maintains deep roots on California’s Central Coast. Founded in Southern California in 1962 by namesake musician and innovator Ernie Ball, the company moved to San Luis Obispo in 1979. “As fellow 805 natives, we take immense pride in our roots and the rich culture of craftsmanship that this region embodies,” said Brian Ball, CEO at Ernie Ball Music Man, in a press release.  “This collaboration is not just about creating a great beer; it’s about celebrating the artistry and passion that both Ernie Ball and Firestone Walker bring to our respective crafts.”

With input from their friends at Ernie Ball, the Firestone Walker brewing team pulled out all of the stops to infuse Electric Eagle with explosive hop character in a progressive West Coast IPA style.  

“We used a mix state-of-the-art hop formats for high aroma and flavor impact, including traditional hop pellets, lupulin-rich Cryo hops for pure aromatic character, and Incognito hop extract for a clean bitterness and punchy flavor boost,” said Sam Tierney, brewery manager at Firestone Walker’s Propagator R&D brewhouse in Venice, where Electric Eagle was brewed.

Electric Eagle is brewed with a variety of Pacific Northwest and Southern Hemisphere hop varieties, including Simcoe, Mosaic, Riwaka and Nelson Sauvin. “Mosaic sets the tone in the dry hop with a classic West Coast profile of citrus, peach, berry fruit and dankness, while the Riwaka and Nelson hops layer in these classic Southern Hemisphere notes of tropical fruits and white grape,” Tierney said.

The result is a modern take on the classic West Coast IPA style. Electric Eagle is full of juicy, hop flavors just as one would expect from Firestone Walker. From sampling a can this past weekend, we noticed plenty of tangerine, berry and citrus from the previously mentioned cutting edge hops. But the malt bill of Rahr North Star Pils, Great Western White Wheat, and Briess Flaked Rice brings forth a nice balance to this hop-forward beer. Electric Eagle sits at 7% ABV and 40 IBUs and one that we highly recommend seeking out. We just wished it would have received a bit wider distribution or offer the same recipe again in the future as this one goes to 11!

Electric Eagle West Coast IPA is available for a limited time in 4-pack, 16 ounce cans at all Firestone Walker locations in Paso Robles, Buellton and Venice, and on draft at select Central Coast accounts. To learn more, visit firestonewalker.com.