Firestone Walker & Russian River Reunite on STIVO Pils

Venice, CA – California’s cult collaboration pilsner is back for the first time in three years with the return of STiVO, a small-batch release from Firestone Walker Brewing Company and Russian River Brewing Company.  

STiVO is a masterful mashup of the breweries’ flagship pilsners, STS and Pivo—two beers that helped spark a new generation of American craft pilsners. STiVO is ultimately born of a longtime friendship between brewmasters Matt Brynildson of Firestone Walker and Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River, whose collaborative connection spans nearly 20 years.

Originally released in 2016, STiVO won a gold medal at the 2018 World Beer Cup and was later re-released in 2022. It now returns for a limited time at all Firestone Walker locations.

“Vinnie and I have such similar tastes in pilsners, and our recipes are so sympatico that it’s always felt like a match made in heaven—two breweries coming together on something they’re both super stoked about,” said Brynildson. 

“When I made my first batch of STS Pils, I was inspired by a few European pilsners and one pivotal modern U.S. pilsner in particular—Matt’s Pivo Pils,” Cilurzo said. “Of course, Matt and I were friends long before that, and when he later asked me if we wanted to make a collaborative mashup of our two pilsners, how could I say no? STiVO has evolved a little over the years, but it has always stayed hop forward and super drinkable.”  

Another Level
Brewed at Firestone Walker’s Propagator R&D brewhouse in Venice, California, this latest batch of STiVO builds upon the original recipe with some evolutionary tweaks that take it to another level. 

Whereas the original STiVO featured all German Weyermann pilsner malts, the new edition is composed of 50 percent Dingemans pilsner malts—a reflection of STS’s own shift toward this Belgian maltster in recent years. The hops are once again split down the middle between Pivo’s German Saphir hops and STS’s French Aramis hops. However, the Aramis hops in the dry hopping portion come via a cutting-edge hop extract known as Aramis Quantum Brite, which was custom-made for Russian River. 

“The extract just makes the hop aromas all the more vivid,” said Propagator Brewery Manager Sam Tierney. “These changes are subtle, and the beer will still be familiar for those who had it in the past, but the collaborative tradition of exchanging ideas continues to push us in new directions.”

Brynildson notes that Cilurzo was so excited about this latest batch that he’s thinking about brewing it sometime at Russian River’s brewery in Windsor, California. “STiVO is everything that we love about a new-age craft pilsner—clean and aromatic, with a subtle hop imprint,” Brynildson says. “It’s a true passion project.”

About Firestone Walker Brewing Company 

Founded in 1996 by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker, Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a family-led second-generation brewery based on California’s Central Coast. Helmed by CEO Nick Firestone and decorated Brewmaster Matt Brynildson, Firestone Walker’s main brewery in Paso Robles produces a diverse portfolio of award-winning beers, including 805, California’s #1 craft beer brand established in 2012; Mind Haze, one of the country’s top hazy IPAs; and Cali Squeeze, one of the nation’s fastest-growing beer brands. The Firestone brand family also includes iconic beers such as DBA, Union Jack, and Pivo Pils, as well as the storied Vintage Series of barrel-aged strong ales led by Parabola. As a California beer company, Firestone Walker also has two additional locations: the Barrelworks wild ale cellar in Santa Barbara County and the Propagator R&D brewhouse in Venice. Firestone Walker was recently named “Best American Brewery of the Decade” by Paste Magazine. More at 805beer.com and FirestoneWalker.com

About Russian River Brewing Company
Russian River Brewing Company began in 1997 when Korbel Champagne Cellars founded the brewery in Guerneville, CA, with Vinnie Cilurzo as its brewmaster. Vinnie quickly gained recognition for his bold, hop-forward and Belgian-inspired beers, including Pliny the Elder, one of the first commercially brewed Double IPAs. In 2003, Korbel exited the beer business, giving Vinnie and his wife, Natalie, the opportunity to take over the brand. They launched their own brewpub in 2004, growing the brewery’s reputation with award-winning beers. After years of expansion, they built their dream brewery in Windsor, CA, opening in 2018 with an 85,000-square-foot facility featuring a brewpub, tasting room, beer garden, and expanded production. Today, Russian River Brewing continues to thrive, serving craft beer lovers at both its Windsor and Santa Rosa locations while maintaining its legacy of innovation and excellence. More at RussianRiverBrewing.com.