Firestone Walker Brewing of Paso Robles, California, announced today that they will be assuming stewardship of Trumer Pils USA, which is located in Berkeley, California in the old Golden Pacific brewery on Fourth Street.

Trumer is owned by the Gambrinus Company of San Antonio, Texas. They also own Shiner Beers, and previously owned BridgePort Brewing of Portland, Oregon, along with Pete’s Wicked Ales, though they discontinued both of those brands. The original Trumer brewery is located near Salzburg, Austria and has been brewing there since at least 1601. In 1775, the Sigl family bought the brewery and has continued to run it up to and including the current eighth generation.

In 2004, the Sigl family worked with the Gambrinus Co. to open Trumer USA in Berkeley, where brewmaster Lars Larson, who was trained as a brewer in Germany, perfectly dialed in the pilsner recipe to create the world’s most awarded pilsner in beer competitions.

Beginning in early summer, most likely around the middle of June, brewing will transition from Berkeley to Paso Robles, where brewmaster Matt Brynildson will take over brewing the beer to exacting specifications.

I spoke to Firestone Walker CEO Nick Firestone this morning and he stressed that they are not acquiring the brewery, but instead will be taking over production in their facility, and helping to keep this great beer alive, so to speak. It’s no secret that rising prices have hit California breweries especially hard with manufacturing costs, particularly in the Bay Area, skyrocketing. Beer lovers are still reeling from the loss of Anchor Steam Beer (which hopefully is on its way back) so at least fresh Trumer Pils will still be available and in capable hands.

Firestone Walker will continue to brew their own Pivo Pils, which is essentially an Italian-style pilsner, whereas Trumer Pils a German-style version of the lager. Packaging may be refreshed slightly, but distribution and availability should continue seamlessly through the summer transition.

The Gambrinus Company will be decommissioning the Berkeley brewery. At least that’s the plan for now, though that could change as they explore other options between now and when things wind down there around June.

Here’s more from the press release:

“The story of Trumer Pils spans continents and centuries. Trumer Privatbrauerei, the original European brewery, traces its roots to Obertrum, Austria, a small town outside of Salzburg, where brewing rights date back to 1601. In 1775, Josef Sigl, a Bavarian hops merchant, acquired the brewery and established the Sigl family’s stewardship of the brand, which continues today in its eighth generation. For decades, Trumer has been known for its precise, balanced pilsner brewed in the classic European tradition.

More than two centuries later, Trumer started a new chapter in the United States in 2004 when Carlos Alvarez, founder of The Gambrinus Company, began to brew Trumer Pils for the United States market at the Trumer Brewery in Berkeley, California. Alvarez assembled a team of craft brewers that imported Trumer Pils’ hops, malt and yeast from Europe into the United States. It was a revolutionary idea: rather than import a European lager across the Atlantic Ocean, Alvarez chose to brew it locally with the same methods and ingredients as the original beer. Under the leadership of longtime Brewmaster Lars Larson, Trumer Pils became known regionally and throughout the United States for its freshness, balance, and drinkability, winning 21 gold medals in the world’s most prestigious brewing competitions in the last 21 years.

This latest chapter in Trumer’s storied history begins with Firestone Walker assuming stewardship of Trumer Pils in the United States, continuing its California brewing tradition while protecting the quality and freshness that define the brand. Trumer Pils will now be brewed at Firestone Walker’s Paso Robles brewery as part of a long-term commitment to honoring its legacy while supporting its future growth. As part of this evolution, The Gambrinus Company will begin winding down operations at its Trumer Brewery in Berkeley.

“Our priority has always been to grow and steward Trumer Pils and ensure its future here in the United States,” said John Brozovich, CEO of The Gambrinus Company. “Entrusting the brand to a family brewery that understands this responsibility was very important to us. Firestone Walker approaches brewing with the same respect for tradition and quality, and we are confident they will carry Trumer Pils forward with great care.”

Firestone Walker shares a complementary heritage. Founded in 1996 by the Firestone and Walker families on California’s Central Coast, the company remains family-led and brewer-driven, built on the belief that beer is a craft passed from one generation to the next. 

“Some beers are timeless,” said Nick Firestone, CEO of Firestone Walker Brewing Company. “Carlos loved this beer so much he brought it to U.S. drinkers and built a brewery to brew it…and I understand exactly how he felt. Trumer Pils is a sensational beer with a deep lineage. Our job now is simple: protect what makes it special and make sure this great beer continues to reach American drinkers.”

Firestone Walker Brewmaster Matt Brynildson will oversee the brewing transition. Internationally recognized for his work brewing precise, balanced pilsners, Brynildson emphasized that the goal is preservation rather than reinterpretation. “Pilsner brewing is a discipline built on detail and patience,” Brynildson said. “Trumer Pils is a beer I have admired for many years, and our responsibility is to protect the balance and drinkability that have always defined it.”

Seppi Sigl, owner of the original Trumer Privatbrauerei in Salzburg, Austria, concluded, “We are very pleased that the quality of Trumer Pils is so widely appreciated in the United States, and that we have been able to partner with Firestone Walker — a brewery that shares our values and has always put quality and family first.”

The Firestone Walker and Trumer U.S. teams will work together in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition for distributors and retailers. Consumers should expect uninterrupted availability of Trumer Pils going forward.”

            About the two companies.

Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

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.

Trumer Pils

Trumer Pils’  U.S. operations were established in 2004 by The Gambrinus Company with a sister brewery to the more than 400-year-old Trumer Privatbrauerei in Salzburg, Austria, which has been family-owned and operated by the Sigl family for eight generations. Since then, the flagship beer brewed in California—Trumer Pils—has been awarded twenty-one Gold Medals in the most prestigious international beer competitions, making Trumer Pils the most awarded pilsner in the world. Characterized by a distinct hop aroma, brisk carbonation and light body, Trumer Pils is sessionable, refreshing, and truly best-in-class.