Russian River Brewing Co.

WineCountryBEER

 
 

Russian River Brewing Company brewer Vinnie Cilurzo is is recognized across the craft beer industry as an artist and innovator. He and co-proprietor Natalie Cilurzo put Class 6 taste thrills on the Russian River.

The more popular here beers tend to fall into two camps: big, hoppy West Coast ales and funky Belgian-inspired originals. RRB beers can be unique and hard to describe, but the better ones are so memorable. Some are barrel aged to add complexity. They also keep a nice rotation of seasonals, so there is always something new. Sample their menu and find something delicious.

Favorite Brews

For a big beautiful hop bomb, try Pliny the Elder (a double IPA at 8% ABV). But definitely sample a few funky Belgian-style taste explosions like the oak-aged sour ale Temptation, the 100% Brett fermented Sanctification or the even funkier dark, barrel-aged Supplication. And then there is the ever popular Damnation, a Belgian-style strong golden ale.

Blind Pig I.P.A., a beautifully hop-rich beer but lower in alcohol (6.0% ABV) than the Pliny, picked up a bronze medal at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival and won a silver in 2007.

It’s also easy to grow quite fond of Perdition, a spiced fruit, toasty caramel-tasting  farm house ale with nice round bitterness.

Restaurant

Italian-style pizza is the real star here. With over 20 selections, our faves are the Sicilian and the Mama Mia. Most come in 8-, 12-, or 16-inch sizes.

The menu also includes typical pub appetizers, sandwiches and basic salads. The Focaccias look especially good: Italian flatbread flavored with olive oil, herbs and a variety of tasty toppings.


The Russian River kitchen offers up a nice variety of pizza and other pub grub -- and serves it up on authentic, made-in-the-USA, Fiesta dinnerware from Homer Laughlin. Nice touch.


The Russian River Brewing back bar displays some of the numerous awards they have won recently.


This is the rear entrance off the parking lot.

 

Run the river in Santa Rosa

Location
Located in a nice walkable area of downtown Santa Rosa with easy access to Hwy. 101, Russian River Brewing (and restaurant) attracts lots of locals as well as beer pilgrims from across the continent. A metered parking lot is directly behind the brewery, and a public parking building is just across the street from the back door.

Address: 725 4th Street, Santa Rosa, CA, 95404

Phone: (707) 545-BEER

Go To: Russian River Brewing Web Site


PLINY the YOUNGER is available each year in February, however, you’ll likely have to wait in line for it at the brewpub.

The renowned Pliny The Younger is offered for sale at the Santa Rosa brewpub for a few days each February. It is quite the beer event, as lines of IPA enthusiasts form each day it is available. During the release week Pliny the Younger is also distributed to a handful of other California accounts, including some to Bay Area pubs for San Francisco Beer Week. A small amount is shipped to other areas. (Denver, Philly, San Diego).

PTY is brewed in a Triple I.P.A. style, which means it is brewed with loads of malt and hops. Hop varieties used in the beer reportedly include CTZ, Simcoe, Amarillo, Summit, and Centennial. It is approximately 11% ABV.


The daily board tells what is on tap. Afternoon happy hours Monday through Friday and all day Sunday put a smile on your face. This brewery is definitely customer friendly.


This is the front of Russian River Brewing on Fourth Street. The photo to the right shows the rear entrance to Russian River that is just off a public parking lot.

 

Russian River Brewing sits at 725 4th Street, Santa Rosa, right under the map marker. It is a pleasant walkable area of town, that in warm-weather months is also host to a great weekly farmer's market. You can see the convenient metered city parking lot directly behind the brewery building.



Nothing compares to a superb RRB ale served in appropriate glassware.


Typical fare includes big hoppy IPAs (on left) and dark, sour Belgian-style ales.



The RRB wine list includes favorites from Sonoma County vineyards.