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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!

Connect with us

We are on Instagram

🎉Happy National IPA Day!🎉What`s your favorite RRBC IPA? #NationalIPADay

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🎉Happy National IPA Day!🎉What's your favorite RRBC IPA? #NationalIPADay

We had a great time with our hop-growing friends from Carpenter Ranches yesterday brewing this very special beer to honor their Dad, the legendary Tom Carpenter! Keep It Rollin` IPA will be available later this month on draft and in cans at both pubs!

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We had a great time with our hop-growing friends from Carpenter Ranches yesterday brewing this very special beer to honor their Dad, the legendary Tom Carpenter! Keep It Rollin' IPA will be available later this month on draft and in cans at both pubs!

📣BRING BACK BREWER`S GOLD📣 This Hazy IPA features Brewer`s Gold hops, a hop variety over 100 years old, imparting big notes of stone fruit, citrus, and currants. Now available at both pubs on tap and in cans, and in bottles and kegs for limited distribution in markets where RRBC beers are sold! 🍻Cheers!🍻

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📣BRING BACK BREWER'S GOLD📣 This Hazy IPA features Brewer's Gold hops, a hop variety over 100 years old, imparting big notes of stone fruit, citrus, and currants. Now available at both pubs on tap and in cans, and in bottles and kegs for limited distribution in markets where RRBC beers are sold! 🍻Cheers!🍻

Hoppy Friday! We have two fresh IPA releases available at both pubs on tap and in cans, and in our online store for shipping!

🎰LUCKY WINNER🎰
Don`t miss this one! Available for the first time in cans, this West Coast IPA features Simcoe, Nectaron, Tangier, Mosaic, and Citra hops! *Extremely limited release, one 12 pack limit per household*

🎪MIND CIRCUS🎪
This Hazy IPA gains its tropical notes of pineapple and mango from a blend of hand selected hops.

Link in bio.

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Hoppy Friday! We have two fresh IPA releases available at both pubs on tap and in cans, and in our online store for shipping! 🎰LUCKY WINNER🎰 Don't miss this one! Available for the first time in cans, this West Coast IPA features Simcoe, Nectaron, Tangier, Mosaic, and Citra hops! *Extremely limited release, one 12 pack limit per household* 🎪MIND CIRCUS🎪 This Hazy IPA gains its tropical notes of pineapple and mango from a blend of hand selected hops. Link in bio.

Coming soon: ALES FOR ALS IPA! Russian River is once again joining over 200 participating breweries from around the world raising money with specially brewed beers for the ALS Therapy Development Institute! We are all brewing different styles of beer using the same hop blend! Thank you for supporting a cause that is near and dear to our hearts! Link in bio.

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Coming soon: ALES FOR ALS IPA! Russian River is once again joining over 200 participating breweries from around the world raising money with specially brewed beers for the ALS Therapy Development Institute! We are all brewing different styles of beer using the same hop blend! Thank you for supporting a cause that is near and dear to our hearts! Link in bio.

🎰LUCKY WINNER!🎰 This Friday at both pubs, our fan favorite West Coast IPA is back on tap and, for the first time, available in CANS for purchase in our gift shops and online store! Cheers!🍻

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🎰LUCKY WINNER!🎰 This Friday at both pubs, our fan favorite West Coast IPA is back on tap and, for the first time, available in CANS for purchase in our gift shops and online store! Cheers!🍻

Blind Pig cans on ice, BBQ with Pliny Sauce on the grill, and good friends around the table. That`s a recipe for a perfect summer day! Available at both pub gift shops and online for shipping! Link in bio!

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Blind Pig cans on ice, BBQ with Pliny Sauce on the grill, and good friends around the table. That's a recipe for a perfect summer day! Available at both pub gift shops and online for shipping! Link in bio!
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