Russian River Brewing Company: Redwood Empire Brewing Capital

In my view, part of what makes life worth living is the variety of experience. Being able to get out and find new things and go to different places gives you more than just something to talk about, it gives you inspiration, a frame of reference, culture, and much more. I've been fortunate enough to be somewhat well-traveled and to have lived in different places where I've been able to take something away from that experience. A few years ago I had to move to Sonoma County for my job, and while I enjoyed my time there because, well, it's a nice place to live, I also was able to explore the beer scene. Now, the North Coast area, or Redwood Empire as its often referred to, is renown for its craft brewing scene, and it's just a hop, skip, and a jump north above the Bay Area (about an hour drive). One of the best known breweries in the area is the Russian River Brewing Company located in Santa Rosa, California.

The brewery bears its name from the iconic Russian River that flows through both Mendocino and Sonoma counties, famous for a number of wineries. It was here along the river in the town of Guerneville where Korbel Champagne Cellars had a vineyard and also began to grow hops for brewing during the late 90s. But in 2003, Korbel decided to get out of the beer business and offered their rights to their brewmaster at the time, Vinnie Cilurzo who proceeded to open Russian River Brewing Company in downtown Santa Rosa the following year. Ever since then, it has become one of the best known breweries in California with a cult following due to their strong India Pale Ales and sour beers, most notably their flagship ale "Pliny the Elder".

Now, RRBC sells their beer in stores, but their distribution isn't incredibly wide. That's why making a trip to their brew pub in downtown Santa Rosa is worth the trip. The pub is a pretty large building with patio seating outside, but it is ALWAYS packed and for good reason. In fact, getting seating indoors requires putting your name in with the host (they also serve food, but that is clearly not the focus). The inside has a long row of barstools packed to the brim with crowds around them and barmen constantly trying to keep up with orders and requests, pouring round after round. On the wall above is a list of about 20 different beers, some year round, but some seasonal. If you're not a beer aficiando or snob, you won't understand, but every beer on that board has a different taste, smell, and unique feature to it, some more than others. But then again, it's all the more reason to try it. I wouldn't leave that place without trying three (over time) or a flight of beers which allows you to sample a wider variety in smaller portions, kind of like shot glasses. If you're new to the place, I'd recommend Pliny the Elder, Row 2 Hill 56, and maybe Hop2It. If you're back for another round, you may want to try one of their heavier, experimental barrel-aged concoctions like Consecration, which has an ABV of 10% but is oh so flavorful. Or if you're lucky enough to be there when they release it, try the infamous Pliny the Younger, which has a seasonal and extremely limited release (people form a line around the block to try it as early as 7AM when the announce its ready).

Russian River Brewing Company is great if you're a local as it's a happening spot every night (and day) of the week, but it's also a destination brewery. In fact, I've made a couple of road trips myself through there since I left, and I'm always sure to hit it up with my friends and family.