Firestone Walker releases new Sunglider Golden Lager
Seasonal beer features California-grown barley and regional ingredients
– Firestone Walker Brewery in Paso Robles announced the return of Sunglider Golden Lager, a limited-batch seasonal release and part of the brewery’s Brewing for Tomorrow sustainability initiative.
The beer is made with California-grown floor-malted barley. At 5% alcohol by volume, it is light-bodied with notes of wildflower honey and water cracker, followed by a drying finish.
“Sunglider is a delicious, easy-to-drink lager that doubles as a conversation starter,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “It’s a beer that raises the right questions and helps us imagine new ways of lowering our footprint, all while supporting West Coast growers and maltsters who share our vision.”
The brewery used a specialty barley developed by the University of California, Davis, and grown in the Sacramento region. The barley variety, called Butta-12, was bred to grow in the conditions of California’s Central Valley.
The harvested barley underwent traditional floor malting at Admiral Maltings in Alameda on San Francisco Bay. The beer also includes Willamette hops grown at Goschie Farms in Silverton, Oregon, which has received Salmon-Safe certification.
“The closer you can source your raw materials, and the more you can support providers who do things the right way, the smaller the footprint of the resulting beer,” Brynildson said.
Sunglider is available in six-packs of 12-ounce cans at the brewery’s three locations and at select retailers in its distribution markets.
The release is part of the Brewing for Tomorrow initiative, an effort to reduce the brewery’s carbon footprint and conserve natural resources through technology and operational practices.
In late 2025, the brewery launched a carbon dioxide recovery system that saves four million pounds of emissions annually. On-site solar arrays offset 60 percent of the facility’s energy needs, and the company plans to construct an additional five acres of solar panels later this year. The brewery treats 40 million gallons of processing water annually and returns it to the local aquifer, and it recovers 20 million pounds of spent brewing grains each year for use as livestock feed.
“As we celebrate our 30th anniversary year as a California craft brewery, we’re still excited about exploring new beers and technologies that help make a difference,” said Nick Firestone.
