Pliny the Younger
2025 Release
Pliny the Younger will be available on tap and in bottles at both our Santa Rosa and Windsor pubs March 21st-April 3rd, 2025!
In 2022, we were forced to postpone the normal February release due to a lack of staffing thanks to COVID. It ended up being a happy accident! Not only were we more prepared, but the weather was better and the days longer. In addition, brewing the beer over the course of a couple of months was extremely helpful to our overall production schedule. And over 90% of people who attended in 2022, according to the Economic Impact survey, said they either preferred the new date or could go either way. It was certainly much better for us!
That said, we will continue to distribute kegs of Younger in February 2025 to our draft accounts throughout California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Eastern Pennsylvania and Maine.
This Year’s Release
Pliny the Younger will be available on tap and in bottles at both our Santa Rosa and Windsor pubs March 21st-April 3rd, 2025, rain or shine! In 2022, we were forced to postpone the normal February release due to a lack of staffing thanks to COVID. It ended up being a happy accident.
Not only were we more prepared, but the weather was better and the days longer. In addition, brewing the beer over the course of a couple of months was extremely helpful to our overall production schedule. And over 90% of people who attended in 2022, according to the Economic Impact survey, said they either preferred the new date or could go either way. It was certainly much better for us!
That said, we will continue to distribute kegs of Younger in February 2025 to our draft accounts throughout California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Philadelphia, Maine, Reno and Las Vegas!
What to Expect
Both brewpubs will be open daily from 11AM-10PM, March 21st-April 3rd, 2025. In year’s past, a line generally starts forming in the early morning hours (5-6AM) particularly on weekends. We are almost always busier on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, sometimes seeing twice as many people as we would on a weekday. Pro-tip: come Monday -Thursday to minimize your wait to get in. Evenings, especially in Windsor, tend to taper off. Be prepared to wait 6 hours or more on a very busy day, especially on weekends.
Each guest will be given one custom, uniquely colored and dated wristband upon entering the pub. These wristbands have 4 pull-tabs to be redeemed for the ability to purchase 3 – 10 oz. pours and up to 3 bottles of Pliny the Younger! There is a limit of 3 draft Youngers PER GUEST, and these are non-transferable. However, if you do not want to buy your bottles, you may transfer your allocation to friends in your party. Please DO NOT REMOVE YOUR PULL-TABS unless instructed to do so in the presence of your server or bartender.
Line-cutting has been a major issue in the past, and we are not fans of line cutters. Our security team will be coming through periodically and stamping hands beginning very early each morning. If someone in your party is not around to get their hand stamped, they will need to head to the back of the line. Anyone caught line-cutting will be sent to the back of the line or asked to leave!
Keep an eye on the weather as much of your visit may be outside exposed to the elements. Although we rent tents for Windsor, the line often goes beyond the last tent. The Santa Rosa line is on public sidewalks in front of neighboring businesses. There is rain in the forecast for the first weekend, so bring your umbrellas!
Bottles will ONLY be available in our brewpubs during the 2-week release March 21st-April 3rd, 2025. Bottles are not released online or available in our Gift Shops (just the pubs) and sold on a first come, first served basis. There is no requirement to eat or drink in our pubs to purchase bottles. But if you are going to wait in line for bottles, you might as well stay for a beer! We allocate a certain amount of bottles each day at both pubs to ensure that they last for all 14 days. Please note there is a possibility that we could run out on particularly busy days. We always say there are 2 things we cannot control- the weather and how many people show up!
Each guest/party will have a maximum time limit of 2 1/2 hours. This helps keep the line moving so you don’t have to wait as long. In our experience, 2 1/2 hours is more than enough time to enjoy yourself during our Pliny the Younger release!
The outdoor patio in Santa Rosa will be open during Younger, weather permitting. Windsor also has a large dog-friendly indoor patio which we open to the Beer Garden on nice days. The Windsor Beer Garden will remain closed during the release. We simply do not have enough staff to manage the Beer Garden and provide good customer service to our guests inside.
Draft Distribution
We will continue to distribute kegs of Pliny the Younger in February to our valued wholesale partners and draft accounts throughout California, along with select accounts in Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Philadelphia, Maine, Reno and Las Vegas.
Pliny the Younger, The Beer
Pliny the Younger is a Triple IPA, meaning that it is higher in alcohol and has tons of hops. Though the ABV usually finishes at about 10.25%, it is remarkably dry and balanced for the amount of malt used in this recipe. Loaded with hop aroma and flavor, each year’s brew is balanced with malt and a lingering dry and bitter finish. We brewed Younger for the first time in 2005 as a winter seasonal release, building upon the Pliny the Elder recipe while pushing the envelope with malt, hops and alcohol just to see how far we could go. Fun fact: Younger has always been at least double dry-hopped (some years even quadruple dry-hopped!) long before DDH became a “thing”! Our 2025 Pliny the Younger recipe is still being developed.
Pliny the Younger, The Man
Pliny the Younger was the nephew and adopted son of Pliny the Elder. He was a lawyer and an author in Ancient Rome and witnessed the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D., which took the life of his uncle while trying to save others. Pliny the Younger lived from 61 AD to 112 AD. He wrote many letters which survive today and have great historical value. We thought it was only appropriate to also pay tribute to Pliny the Elder’s nephew by naming this special beer after him!
Getting Here & Lodging
Alaska Airlines and Avelo Airlines have direct flights into the Charles M. Schulz Airport (STS) from San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, Portland, Seattle and a few other places. Our Windsor brewery is a 5 minute drive from STS, which recently opened their brand new terminal.
The SMART Train has service to Downtown Santa Rosa and North Santa Rosa, which is closer to Windsor, from Marin County. You will still need to call for a ride share service like Uber or Lyft.
