SSBB P PE EO O PPLLEE For DaviD anD Polly Walker, cofounders of Firestone
Walker Brewing Company, family and tradition are one in the same. Polly Firestone Walker, daughter of Firestone Vineyard founder Brooks Firestone, grew up in the Santa Ynez Valley and recalls memories of horses, dust, vineyards, dogs, and weaving down the center of Alamo Pintado Road on her bike. “A big night out was dinner at Mattei’s [Tavern] or Shakespeare under the stars at [PCPA] Theaterfest,” she says. Polly’s sense
Polly and Cadbury.
Polly and Cadbury.
of adventure and love for the arts propelled her to travel, and after graduating from Stanford University with a bachelor of arts degree in English and drama, she ventured to London for an actor-training program at the London Academy of Music and
Dramatic Art. With no thoughts of returning to the valley, Polly met English native David Walker. David, who grew up in the countryside of Devonshire, was a computer entrepreneur and the two shared a mutual love for theater and the outdoors, specifically horses. When they decided to return to California, it was a natural move. “I was the added bonus,” laughs Polly. The Walker’s first stop was Los Angeles, but when Polly discovered the challenges of the theater scene, they took a different route toward Silicon Valley—but didn’t get too far. “David and I paused in the Santa Ynez Valley,” she says. “We holed up on a ranch with two babies, and I knew we were home.” At the time, Polly’s brother, Adam Firestone, was running the family winery. Brothers-in-law Adam and David would spend time together drinking and debating the subject of good and bad beer. This passion and search for a decent ale lead them to brew their own. Now, 17 years later, Firestone Walker Brewing Company continues to grow its craft beer culture along the Central Coast. In January, the company opened Barrelworks, a facility that houses its barrel-aged wild beers and strong ales. Firestone Walker is currently working on a project in Venice Beach, aiming to keep the tradition of meaningful family enterprise alive. While Polly plays a large role in supporting the Firestone Walker partnership, she continues to nurture her love of the arts and philanthropy. “I grew up in a family where public service and a sense of the community were the norm,” she says. “My mother’s father was an English vicar, and she naturally inherited an open-door policy and need to give of herself.” She previously reunited with her love of acting and ran the Solvang Theaterfest Youth Theater Summer Shakespeare workshop and the Shakespeare workshops at Dunn Middle School. And she works with the Santa Barbara Foundation and St. Marks-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church. In every aspect of their lives, the Walkers root themselves in family tradition. But with three daughters currently stretched across the globe, Polly and David are creating new traditions—whether that means sailing the Santa Barbara Channel, or getting involved with a small community in Kenya. Whatever may be, beer is just a perk. “Long dinners peppered with good food, fiery conversation, and wonderful beer…,” says Polly. “It’s an all-encompassing way of life.” n
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