If you are planning a trip to the Sonoma Valley and are looking for a break from the great local wineries, a trip to the Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa is a must. This iconic brewery’s head brewmaster, Vinnie Cilurzo, is one of the pioneers of the craft beer industry. He is credited with inventing the Double India Pale Ale or Imperial IPA beer style, which is brewed with double or even triple the hops of a typical IPA and requires more malt to balance. The brewery was founded in 1997 when Korbel Champagne Cellars hired Vinnie to launch the Russian River Brewing Company. After only five years in business, Korbel decided to quit the beer brewing business and sold the brand rights to Cilurzo and his wife Natalie.
When the Cilurzos reopened the brewery in 2004, their legendary “year-round” Double IPA, Pliny the Elder, was a huge hit. If you’ve never heard of Pliny the Elder, ask anyone who likes IPAs and they’ll first ask you if you have any and next they’ll tell you how hard it is to find. In fact, Pliny the Elder is so rare that stores lucky enough to receive an allocation typically limit customers to only two bottles. Brewed with Amarillo, Centennial, CTZ and Simcoe hops, Pliny is well-balanced with a fresh hop’s aroma of floral, citrus and pine. On the palate it has that beautiful IPA bite with a nice long finish. Pliny is the benchmark by which other breweries measure themselves.
Russian River Brewery boasts another innovation as the first producer of a Triple IPA beer, known as “Pliny the Younger.” This Triple IPA is an homage to “the Elder” and is only produced on the first Friday of February. Any pub lucky enough to get a half-keg to share with its patrons typically sells tickets limiting patrons to one ticket good for 8 oz. of this liquid gold, often with lines for a ticket going out the front door and around the block.
Russian River brewpubs typically have more than a dozen of their latest creations on tap at all times. Unfortunately, at Russian River Brewing only three of them are produced year-round (the rest are seasonal) and distributed outside of the Sonoma Valley area. Consequently, the best way to get access to its unique beers and the creations of a true brewmaster icon is to stop by Russian River Brewing and try a flight.
A visit to Russian River Brewing Company is more than just about beer but a chance to see what a true pioneer is doing to continue evolving the world of beer making.