Russian River Brewing Company

Russian River Brewing Company is a brewery and brewpub in downtown Santa Rosa, California, with a second location in Windsor. The company is known for strong India pale ales and sour beers.

Russian River Brewing Company
IndustryAlcoholic beverage
Founded1997
Headquarters725 4th Street
Santa Rosa, CA, 95404
United States
ProductsBeer
Production output
40,000 barrels[1]
OwnerVinnie Cilurzo, Natalie Cilurzo
WebsiteOfficial website

History
Vinnie Cilurzo

Russian River Brewing Company was created in 1997 when Korbel Champagne Cellars of Guerneville, California decided to try their hand at brewing beer.[2] Brewer Vinnie Cilurzo was hired as brewmaster. Brettanomyces, Cilurzo's favorite component of lambic beers, were first used with local wine barrels in 1999 for production of sour beers.[3] Korbel quit the brewing business, and sold the brewery to Cilurzo and his wife Natalie in 2002. Russian River, remodeled and expanded in 2004, eventually moving to Santa Rosa, at their current 4th Street location. Cilurzo is regarded as one of the most innovative microbrewers in the country[4] and credited with inventing the beer style Double India Pale Ale, known alternately as Imperial IPA, when he was the head brewer at Blind Pig Brewing Company in Temecula, California.

Plans to open a second location in Windsor, just north of Santa Rosa, began before the 2017 Sonoma County fires. In 2016, the Cilurzos partnered with Comerica to finance the project,[5] and the Windsor Planning Commission approved the new brewery, pub, and restaurant the following year.[6] By September 2018 the new brewery was completed and operational.[7] The Windsor facility opened its doors to customers that October.[8] The Windsor facility is differentiated from the Santa Rosa location by its larger size, free parking, expanded menu, and guided brewery tour. The Cilurzos hoped that the two locations would give tourists and local customers the opportunity "to come and spread out and enjoy the experience on their own terms," especially during the annual Pliny the Younger release, which sometimes resulted in lines around the block.[9] Windsor officials hoped that the new location would be a financial boon and make the city more attractive for similar businesses,[10] and the city's "Windsor Hopper" shuttle service, linking local hotels, wineries, and breweries, was unveiled coinciding with the 2019 Pliny release.[11]

Production

In addition to the 20 barrel brewpub (capable of about 3000 barrels per year),[12] Russian River also has a 50 barrel production brewery, originally from Dogfish Head Brewery.[13] In late 2014, the production facility is being updated with a four vessel, 50 barrel brewhouse made by AAA Metal Fabrication in Beaverton, Ore.[14] Russian River has distributors in California, Colorado, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. A coolship is used to cool the wort for some of the beers.[15] Barrels of beer are stored in their barrel warehouse and begin tasting after 9 months, though can be aged up to two years before blending.

Beers

American style
  • Aud Blonde - Blonde Ale
  • Beer Esteam - California Common Steam Beer
  • Blind Pig IPA - India Pale Ale
  • Dead Leaf Green - English-Style Pale Ale
  • Gaffers - English-Style Pale Ale
  • Great Beer/Great Wine - Winemaker Session Ale
  • Happy Hops - India Pale Ale
  • Hop2It - Single Hop Ale (Rotating)
  • Hopfather IPA - India Pale Ale
  • HUGElarge Pils - Pilsner
  • O.V.L. Stout - Dry Irish Stout (100% nitrogen)
  • Pliny the Elder - Double India Pale Ale
  • Pliny the Younger - Triple India Pale Ale
  • Pliny for President - Double Dry-Hopped India Pale Ale
  • Row 2 Hill 56 - American Pale Ale (Single Hop: Simcoe)
  • Russian River IPA - India Pale Ale
  • Russian River Porter - Porter
  • Segal Select - Pale Ale (Hops from Segal Ranch)
  • Shadow of a Doubt - Imperial Porter

Belgian style
  • Benediction - Abbey-style Double
  • Damnation - Golden Ale
  • Damnation Batch 23 - Belgian gold aged with oak chips
  • Defenestration - Hoppy Blonde Ale
  • Deification - Pale Ale
  • Erudition - Saison
  • Little White Lie - Witbier
  • Mortification - Quadrupel
  • Perdition - Bier de Sonoma
  • Publication - Saison
  • Redemption - Blonde Ale
  • Rejection - Black Ale
  • Salvation - Strong Dark Ale

Barrel aged

(All of Russian River's barrel-aged beers contain brettanomyces, many contain lactobacillus and pediococcus)[3]

  • Beatification - Spontaneously fermented beer
  • Compunction - Aged with pluots
  • Consecration - Strong dark ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels with black currants
  • Framboise For A Cure - Blonde ale aged in chardonnay barrels with raspberries
  • Propitiation - Porter
  • Sanctification - Blonde aged in stainless steel tanks with 100% Brettanomyces
  • Supplication - Brown Ale aged in pinot noir barrels
  • Temptation - Blonde Ale aged in chardonnay barrels
  • Toronado 20th Anniversary - A blend of 6 aged beers
  • Toronado 25th Anniversary - A blend of 6 aged beers

Collaboration
  • Brux (with Sierra Nevada)
  • Collaboration Not Litigation (with Avery, a result of a conflict between the two breweries, both of which made a beer called Salvation)

Awards

Russian River Brewing Company and Vinnie Cilurzo have won numerous awards for their beer.

Individual beer awards
Name Style Honors
Aud Blonde Blonde Ale 2010 World Beer Cup Bronze, 2006 Great American Beer Festival Bronze
Blind Pig India Pale Ale 2009 Great American Beer Festival Bronze, 2008 Great American Beer Festival Silver, 2007 Great American Beer Festival Silver, 2006 World Beer Cup Gold, 1996 World Beer Cup Silver,[lower-roman 1] 1996 Great American Beer Festival Silver[lower-roman 1]
Damnation Belgian-style Ale 2004 Great American Beer Festival Silver, 2001 Great American Beer Festival Silver, 1999 Great American Beer Festival Gold
English Extra Special Bitter Extra Special Bitter 1996 Great American Beer Festival Gold[lower-roman 1]
Golden Wheat Wheat Ale 2001 Great American Beer Festival Gold, 1999 Great American Beer Festival Silver
HopTime Harvest Fresh Hopped ale 2012 Great American Beer Festival Silver
Old Blue Granite Barley Wine 1996 Great American Beer Festival Bronze[lower-roman 1]
O.V.L. Stout Dry Stout 2004 World Beer Cup Gold
Perdition Farmhouse Ale 2004 World Beer Cup Silver
Pliny The Elder Imperial India Pale Ale 2006 World Beer Cup Gold, 2006 Great American Beer Festival Gold, 2005 Great American Beer Festival Gold, 2004 Great American Beer Festival Bronze
Redemption Blonde Ale 2008 Great American Beer Festival Gold
Russian River ESB Extra Special Bitter 1999 Great American Beer Festival Gold
Russian River IPA India Pale Ale 2000 World Beer Cup Gold
Russian River Porter Robust Porter 2010 World Beer Cup Bronze, 1998 Great American Beer Festival Bronze, 1997 Great American Beer Festival Silver
Salvation Strong Dark Ale 2008 World Beer Cup Gold, 2002 World Beer Cup Silver
Sanctification Brett Blonde 2013 Great American Beer Festival Silver
Supplication Sour Brown Ale 2012 World Beer Cup Bronze, 2009 Great American Beer Festival Bronze, 2007 Great American Beer Festival Silver, 2005 Great American Beer Festival Silver
Temptation Sour Blonde Ale 2010 Great American Beer Festival Silver, 2008 World Beer Cup Silver, 2007 Great American Beer Festival Silver, 2006 World Beer Cup Gold, 2004 Great American Beer Festival Silver, 2003 Great American Beer Festival Silver, 2002 Great American Beer Festival Gold
  1. brewed as Blind Pig Brewing Company

See also
  • California breweries

References

Footnotes
  1. "As New Windsor Brewery Opens, Russian River Eyes 40,000 Barrels in 2019". Brewbound. October 10, 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  2. "Russian River Brewing Company -- About Us".
  3. "Barrel Aged Beers". Russian River Brewing Company. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  4. Anderson, Lessley (September 8, 2008). "Vinnie Cilurzo Gets Funky: The daring beers of Russian River Brewing Company". CHOW.
  5. Swindell, Bill (27 June 2016). "Comerica becomes Russian River Brewing Co's bank". The Press Democrat. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  6. Mason, Clark (14 February 2017). "Russian River Brewery Co. gets approval for new Windsor brewpub". The Press Democrat. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  7. Phillips, Justin (20 September 2018). "Russian River Brewery begins brewing in new $50 million Windsor facility". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  8. Swindell, Bill (11 October 2018). "Russian River Brewing starts tapping its coveted craft beers in Windsor". North Bay Business Journal. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  9. Phillips, Justin (20 September 2018). "Russian River Brewery begins brewing in new $50 million Windsor facility". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  10. Swindell, Bill (11 October 2018). "Russian River Brewing starts tapping its coveted craft beers in Windsor". North Bay Business Journal. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  11. Bordas, Alexandria (24 January 2019). "With Russian River Brewing's Pliny the Younger on tap, Windsor grapples with wider embrace of tourism". The Press Democrat. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  12. "Brew-Monkey's Brewer Interview of Vinnie Cilurzo from Russian River Brewing Company". Brew-Monkey.com. May 2, 2007. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  13. "Russian River's First Brew Day, Part 2". Brookston Beer Bulletin. May 9, 2008. Retrieved 14 November 2012. The new brew kettle, formerly at Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware.
  14. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/home/2901359-181/russian-river-brewing-to-temporarily
  15. Roberts, James. "The coolship is landing". Anchorage Press. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.

Sources
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