Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink
  3. News

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…
How to survive a winery when you hate wine but your date loves it
Wineries for beginners from a beginner
Architecture, Building, Wood

Navigating the world while trying to operate outside societal norms can be difficult. When everyone in your friend group or family works a Monday-through-Friday, 9-5 job and you are the one jetsetting twice a month and calling multiple places home, it can be quite a challenge to maintain relationships. I have been able to find a way to maintain relationships (mostly) even though my life doesn't make sense to most people. It doesn't make sense to me most of the time either, but that is a conversation for another time. But one of the things that has been difficult for me is finding a way to navigate the wine world. My friends like wine. My dates like wine. Clients like wine. It is like the Roman Empire all over again, every time I go somewhere, someone is trying to pour me a bourdeau or a prosecco, or a riesling, or something or other that I don't know or understand. They are inviting me to wine tastings. They are trying to refine my palette.

But here is the rub. I really hate wine. Lately, I have considered myself a person intensely dedicated to brown beverages. I am a coffee in the morning, bourbon in the evening, and cola in between kind of man. And I like it that way. Navigating the culture of what wine goes with what meal is overwhelming and overcomplicated in my head. Coffee goes with every breakfast or dessert. Pepsi and Coke go with burgers and pizza every time. And, let's face it, bourbon goes with anything. So, why am I ranting about wine? Because I got an opportunity to visit the Susana Balbo winery in Mendoza, Argentina. Did I accept an invitation simply for the opportunity to sample Argentinian meat (which may be the best in the world)? You're damn right I did. Did I learn that I didn't hate wine as much as I thought, and there is a way to survive wineries when everyone around you loves it but you don't? Sure did. And here is how you can, too.

Read more
Buffalo Trace is turning its distillery into a summer camp for adults
Camp Buffalo Trace offers woodworking, tastings, and overnight luxury tents, but you'll have to win a sweepstakes to get in.
Architecture, Building, Cityscape

Buffalo Trace is a legendary name, and with that comes a lot of opportunities. They've done rare bottles, NFT auctions, and a tasting room in the middle of the Wyoming wilderness. So why not do a summer camp?

The Frankfort, Kentucky-based distillery just announced Camp Buffalo Trace, an adults-only (21+) riff on the classic sleepaway camp. Just think bourbon instead of lanyards.

Read more
How to make an umami-forward cocktail currently starring at Normandie in Portland
A cocktail recipe that will wow your palate
Bartender making a drink

Portland is a foodie's delight. From top West Coast breweries and inventive restaurants to a bustling downtown food scene and excellent cart pods, there's an abundance of flavor. And that goes for the beverage side of things too.

Right now, excellent summer cocktails are being mixed up all over the Rose City. From Ladd's Addition to St John's, bartenders across the town are busy. And we've got a great recipe from a new operation in town.

Read more