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About Us

Our History

About RRBC

Russian River Brewing Company was founded by Korbel Champagne Cellars in Guerneville, CA, in 1997. Vinnie was hired as the brewery’s brewmaster and initially sole employee. For the next 6 years, Vinnie continued to set the bar high for super hoppy and Belgian-inspired beers. Pliny the Elder, first brewed at the Korbel location in 1999, was one of the first commercially brewed Double or Imperial IPAs in America and won numerous awards over the years. It is still our most popular beer more than 20 years later.
In 2003, Korbel decided to get out of the beer business and transferred the rights to the Russian River Brewing Company name, all beer names, and the recipes to Vinnie and his wife, Natalie. We wrote a business plan, found 2 managing partners, and convinced 30 friends and family to invest in their new brewpub venture. In April 2004, we opened the doors to the next chapter of Russian River Brewing under our ownership.
Vinnie and Natalie posting with beers at a Pliny the Younger release
Our beers have won dozens of awards from the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup. Vinnie and the brewery were twice named “Brewery and Brewmaster of the Year” at both the GABF and World Beer Cup. In 2007, Vinnie was awarded the “Russell Scherrer Award for Innovation in Brewing”. We received the “Brewers Association Recognition Award” in 2017. But the most important award of all are the many beer enthusiasts who visit from around the world year after year!
Over the years, we were able to buy out all of our partners and investors. The decision was made in 2014 to build our dream brewery right here in Sonoma County. The search for property took nearly 2 years which allowed us time to assemble our “dream team” of architects, consultants, designers, and contractors. We also received a lot of helpful advice from their friends in the beer industry! We found 15 undeveloped acres in Windsor, CA, and were quickly immersed in the project of a lifetime.
Vinnie and Natalie at Russian River Brewing Windsor ribbon cutting
20 year employees on Russian River's 20th anniversary
On October 11, 2018, we opened the doors to our new brewpub! The entire brewery is 85,000 square feet and encompasses beer production for both clean beers and sour barrel-aged beers, administrative offices, a brewpub, an outdoor beer garden, a gift shop, tasting room/growler fills, guided and self-guided tours, and 2 acres of free parking. This increased capacity has allowed us to distribute more draft and bottled beer to markets in which we currently sell as well as open up some new territories within the state of California. The original Downtown Santa Rosa location continues to thrive offering small batch brews and tasty pizza. Vinnie, Natalie, and all our dedicated employees are excited to share a beer or two at both breweries with you!

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Today`s the day! Our summer limited release beers are now available in cans and on draft at both pubs and for shipping online!
🍻DDH Pliny the Elder🍻
This two-stage double dry-hopped version of the original Pliny the Elder recipe is bursting with notes of pine, resin, and stone fruit. Also out for limited distribution in bottles and draft!

💥Citra Flash Mob💥
The Citra hop is one of the most sought-after hop varieties because it offers an intense citrusy aroma and flavor that has revolutionized IPAs. Citra hops pair well with other varieties, but their strong citrus, stone fruit, and tropical notes are the star of this West Coast IPA.

🔈Mosaic Stack🔈
This easy-drinking beer has beautiful hop aromas and flavors followed by a dry, hoppy finish. Mosaic hops give the beer a pronounced tropical, berry, and dank quality, while Simcoe adds a nice grapefruit note.

🟢Simcoe 25🟢
Brewed to celebrate the Simcoe hop`s 25th anniversary, this West Coast IPA bursts with notes of pine, grapefruit, and hop resin, finishing clean, bitter, and dry.

Link in bio.

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Open post by russianriverbrewingofficial with ID 18091907216350310
Today's the day! Our summer limited release beers are now available in cans and on draft at both pubs and for shipping online! 🍻DDH Pliny the Elder🍻 This two-stage double dry-hopped version of the original Pliny the Elder recipe is bursting with notes of pine, resin, and stone fruit. Also out for limited distribution in bottles and draft! 💥Citra Flash Mob💥 The Citra hop is one of the most sought-after hop varieties because it offers an intense citrusy aroma and flavor that has revolutionized IPAs. Citra hops pair well with other varieties, but their strong citrus, stone fruit, and tropical notes are the star of this West Coast IPA. 🔈Mosaic Stack🔈 This easy-drinking beer has beautiful hop aromas and flavors followed by a dry, hoppy finish. Mosaic hops give the beer a pronounced tropical, berry, and dank quality, while Simcoe adds a nice grapefruit note. 🟢Simcoe 25🟢 Brewed to celebrate the Simcoe hop's 25th anniversary, this West Coast IPA bursts with notes of pine, grapefruit, and hop resin, finishing clean, bitter, and dry. Link in bio.

Our big summer limited release is tomorrow! All four beers will be available in cans and on draft at both pub locations as well as for shipping in our online store! Cheers!🍻

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Open post by russianriverbrewingofficial with ID 18132239977505956
Our big summer limited release is tomorrow! All four beers will be available in cans and on draft at both pub locations as well as for shipping in our online store! Cheers!🍻

Last but not least of our summer limited release beers: Citra Flash Mob! The Citra hop is one of the most sought-after hop varieties because it offers an intense citrusy aroma and flavor that has revolutionized IPAs. Citra hops pair well with other varieties, but their strong citrus, stone fruit, and tropical notes are the star of this West Coast IPA. Available in cans and on draft at both pub locations this Friday!

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Open post by russianriverbrewingofficial with ID 17936971035252874
Last but not least of our summer limited release beers: Citra Flash Mob! The Citra hop is one of the most sought-after hop varieties because it offers an intense citrusy aroma and flavor that has revolutionized IPAs. Citra hops pair well with other varieties, but their strong citrus, stone fruit, and tropical notes are the star of this West Coast IPA. Available in cans and on draft at both pub locations this Friday!

DDH Pliny is back this Friday on tap and in cans at both pubs and our online store at 11am! Bottles and kegs heading out starting this week for limited distro in markets where RRBC beers are sold!

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Open post by russianriverbrewingofficial with ID 18475618879103785
DDH Pliny is back this Friday on tap and in cans at both pubs and our online store at 11am! Bottles and kegs heading out starting this week for limited distro in markets where RRBC beers are sold!

Wrapping up another fun year at the Firestone Invitational!

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Open post by russianriverbrewingofficial with ID 18122405260712886
Wrapping up another fun year at the Firestone Invitational!

⏰LAST CALL!⏰ STiVO is running low! Don`t miss out on this collaboration with our friends at Firestone Walker! Originally conceived in 2016 as a mashup of Firestone Walker’s Pivo Pils with our STS Pils, STiVO is a happily arranged marriage of both recipes. Available in bottles and on draft at both pubs and for shipping online! Link in bio.

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Open post by russianriverbrewingofficial with ID 18104397751977280
⏰LAST CALL!⏰ STiVO is running low! Don't miss out on this collaboration with our friends at Firestone Walker! Originally conceived in 2016 as a mashup of Firestone Walker’s Pivo Pils with our STS Pils, STiVO is a happily arranged marriage of both recipes. Available in bottles and on draft at both pubs and for shipping online! Link in bio.

We are on our way to Paso Robles! Stop by our booth Saturday to say hello and taste STiVO Pils, our somewhat annual collab with our friends @firestonewalker ! #firestonewalkerinvitational

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Open post by russianriverbrewingofficial with ID 18082949375424597
We are on our way to Paso Robles! Stop by our booth Saturday to say hello and taste STiVO Pils, our somewhat annual collab with our friends @firestonewalker ! #firestonewalkerinvitational
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