From Russian River:
One of my many goals for 2024 is bringing back the RRBC Newsletter and Blog! Let’s get this New Year off to a good start by accomplishing one of those goals. The rest, well, I have all year to figure that out! zzubreebym
2023 was a definite improvement over the past several years, mostly because it became the year of at least some normalization and stabilization for us at RRBC. Since the completion of our Windsor brewery in October of 2018, we had yet to get through an entire year without being dramatically impacted by local wildfires, the pandemic, and other unexpected forces of nature and life. This past year, we were able to plan ahead and make some very positive changes to our business. We released two beers, STS Pils and Velvet Glow Helles, in 12oz.6-pack cans for wholesale distribution, rolled out distribution in the Seattle market, and reopened our Windsor brewpub 7 days a week for the first time since pre-pandemic!
We have much to look forward to and celebrate in 2024. This coming April, we are celebrating 20 years in business at our Downtown Santa Rosa brewpub! Many of you have been supporting us since day one, and for that we are truly grateful. Our business (or lack of) was very different in those early days along with the entire craft beer industry. In 2004, there were less than 1,500 breweries in the United States. Today there are nearly 10,000 breweries, large and small, throughout the country! We opened our little brewpub on 4th Street with a Double IPA, a Belgian-style Strong Golden Ale, and sour barrel-aged beers which were all a bit mind-blowing for many of our new patrons.
Those early days were also painfully slow. During the week, we could get by with one bartender, one server, and no host or bussers. At night we may have added two front of house employees. In January of 2005, we decided to brew a Triple IPA (not a thing at the time) to drum up some much-needed business during the slow winter months. We named this new beer Pliny the Younger after Pliny the Elder’s nephew and adopted son. Our milestone 20th in-person pub release of Pliny the Younger is scheduled for March 22nd-April 4th, 2024! Yes, we have permanently moved the release from it’s traditional first Friday in February. The weather is better, days are longer, and we are more prepared for a Spring release! Wholesale draft distribution will continue to take place in February. To commemorate this year’s release, we have a new logo and a couple of other fun surprises. For all of the necessary details, please visit the dedicated Pliny the Younger page HERE on our website.
Last but certainly not least… 2024 is an election year which can only mean one thing- Pliny the Elder is running for President again! We announced his campaign in December with the soft release of a new IPA which Vinnie spent the better part of 2023 developing in the pilot brewery. Pliny for President, the beer, is a 7% ABV IPA triple dry-hopped (TDH) with Simcoe, Amarillo, Citra, Zumo, and Nectaron. This beer is a toned-down version of the original Pliny the Elder recipe with a little less alcohol so we can enjoy more than just one! Pliny for President will be released quarterly on tap and in cans in our pubs and online as well as in kegs and bottles for wholesale distribution. 2024 campaign yard signs, pennants, buttons, hats, socks and more coming very soon!
It looks like my first newsletter of the New Year turned into a small novel after all. Thank you for reading, and thank for supporting us and our brewery for the past 20+years. Vinnie and I wish you and yours a Happy 2024!
Cheers,
Natalie and Vinnie
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