Skip to main content

Firestone Walker drops refreshing non-alcoholic blonde ale

Firestone Walker drops NA beer

Firestone Walker 8ZERO5.
805 Beer / 805 Beer

Cheers to an endless summer. California brewery Firestone Walker is celebrating with a refreshing non-alcoholic blonde ale. Perfect for those who are struggling with the change in seasons, this beer reminds of a sunny beach and is an ideal post-workout sipper.

The easy-drinking ale is called 8ZERO5 and is the first of its kind for Firestone Walker. It marks a continuation of the brand’s pursuit of an outdoors-y audience. The label has been slanging 805 Cerveza as of late, bringing on pro surfers to help market the light lager.

Firestone Walker 8ZERO5.
805 Beer / 805 Beer

The beer is nothing if not sprightly, coming in at around 60 calories and 0.5% ABV. Apparently, Firestone Walker brewmaster Matt Bynildson has been fine-tuning the release for about two years. The evolution of the beer included trials on many of the athletes the brand works with. In the end, the overriding objective was to craft something strikingly similar to the label’s popular 805 Blonde Ale.

Recommended Videos

“We’ve tasted and analyzed 805 Blonde Ale’s appeal exhaustively over the past ten years, and we know all of the key elements that customers love in that beer, and we wanted to capture these elements in the non-alcoholic version closely,” Brynildson said. “We worked hard, nailed it, and now we’re off to the races. We’ve got something here that can compete with anything in the non-alcoholic space, and I’m pretty stoked about it.”

Whether you’re learning to surf, looking for a good post-run beer, or just want to try the non-alcoholic route, there are more options then ever. Firestone Walker’s latest is worth a place in your fridge.

Like beer? Us too. Check out our features on the best beers in the world and our favorite beer movies.

Mark Stock
Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…
Cheers to a dry spring with this non-alcoholic take on a Moscow Mule
A fresh, bright, gingery mocktail using non-alcholic wine
Libby White Ginger Fizz

With spring in the air, you might be looking for a lighter, non-alcoholic option for a refreshing drink to enjoy. If that's the case then we have a couple of mocktail recipes for you courtesy of Libby Non-Alcoholic Wine, including a zingy and gingery taken on the Moscow Mule. While that drink typically involves vodka and ginger beer, this version calls for fresh ginger juice which is sharper and more flavorful than packaged options, including adding some extra punch through the use of black pepper and texture achieved with chia seeds. That's added to a base of non-alcoholic wine for fizz and sharpness, creating a grown-up ginger drink that has all the flavor of a Mule but without the alcohol.
Libby White Ginger Fizz

By Grant Hemingway, Libby Non-Alcoholic Wine

Read more
Firestone Walker teases new film on pro female surfer
A top surfer on highs, lows, and mental health
Surfer Lakey Peterson.

Firestone Walker has been dabbling in the filmmaking world as of late. The west coast brewery, via its sporty 805 Beer label, just dropped a trailer for an upcoming film it created. Titled Making Waves, the movie spotlights pro surfer Lakey Peterson and the ups and down of her remarkable career chasing waves.

A bit of a comeback story, the film touches on Peterson just missing out on the cut for the Olympic surfing team. Her inspiring resilience is on full display and currently, the seventh ranked surfer in the circuit. The Santa Barbara native, now 30, has been a pro since 2012.

Read more
Firestone Walker goes all-in with imperial radler beer
A fruit-minded beer for spring
Firestone Walker Mind Haze Rage.

A California craft brewery has gone all-in with radler beer. Firestone Walker just released a trio of imperial radlers, or high-octane, fruit-infused beers. It's another creative pivot within a craft beer movement that continues to navigate heightened competition and ever-changing consumption patterns.

It's an interesting move for a number of reasons. First, radler is traditionally a lighter, lawn-moving style drink that's both refreshing and low in alcohol content. Firestone Walker is flipping the script a bit, as the three new options come in at 8% ABV (hence the imperial designation). Second, it's a creative and seasonally-appropriate way to throw fruit at IPA. The hop-forward beer has long complemented citrus and the match seems to make a lot of senes.

Read more