It seems like just yesterday we were enjoying our 20th release of Pliny the Younger and celebrating the 20th Anniversary of our Santa Rosa pub! In celebration of the pub’s anniversary, Vinnie and I finally documented our story from opening Blind Pig Brewing in 1994 until now. Thank you to the team at Definition Films for artfully condensing 30 years of brewing history into one 20-minute movie! Grab a beer and check it out now on our YouTube channel:
Sonoma County was once the largest hop growing region in the country between 1915 and 1920. The Great Depression, Prohibition, and other factors contributed the demise of hops in this area. And the desire for larger farms and better growing conditions helped drive the industry to flourish in the Pacific Northwest. Sonoma County hops were eventually replaced with crops better suited for the region such as prunes, apples and wine grapes. When Korbel Winery opened the original Russian River Brewing in 1997, they planted a quarter acre of hops near the brewery building. This is where Vinnie and I continued cultivating our love and passion for hops! Vinnie created a beer called “HopTime Harvest Ale” in the late 1990’s brewed with 100% fresh, wet hops grown right next to the brewery. Thankfully, we are able to continue brewing this special seasonal harvest ale with Sonoma County hops from Alexander Valley Hops. Our 2024 HopTime Harvest Ale brewed with locally grown Cascade and Chinook hops will be available on tap and in cans for a limited time beginning September 7th!
Some of you may know our good friend Garrett Oliver at Brooklyn Brewing and the amazing beers that he and his team produce. Garrett recently invited us to join the ‘Brewing for Impact’ initiative to produce a beer using the ancient West African grain, fonio. This grain is more than 5,000 years old, requires no irrigation, pesticides or fertilizers and grows in the most inhospitable conditions. Not only are we supporting small farming communities in Africa, but also continuing our journey to find alternative brewing grains for a more sustainable future. And the Fonio beer tastes great, too! Our Fonio Belgian Blonde Ale is available now at both pubs on tap and in bottles as well as for limited distribution. To learn more about the ‘Brewing for Impact’ initiative, check out Brooklyn’s website or anyone of the collaborating brewery videos on YouTube. Here is our video with Garrett:
BREWING FOR IMPACT WITH GARRETT OLIVER
Finally, I want to give a big shout-out to several employees celebrating 10 years or more with Russian River Brewing, some of whom you may know! Here they are:
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Gabe Rivera- 20 years, Santa Rosa Bartender
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James Chase- 20 years, Plant Manager
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Keti Lassell- 20 years, Culture and Development Manager (HR)
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Amir Bramell- 19 years, Santa Rosa Bartender
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Nick Atchison- 18 years, Santa Rosa Bartender
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Jeff Jones- 17 years, Santa Rosa Bartender
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Michael May- 17 years, Facilities Manager
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Brandon “Bird” Searby- 15 years, Warehouse Manager
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Matt Hoffman- 14 years, Head Chef/Kitchen Manager
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Carlos Blanco- 13 years, Facilities Lead
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Manny Natividad- 10 years, Santa Rosa Bartender
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Jacob Totz- 10 years, Production Manager
Congratulations and thank you to our hard-working team for their unwavering dedication and loyalty these many years! And thank you to everyone reading this and for being an important part of our journey and history here at Russian River Brewing Company!
Cheers!
Natalie (and Vinnie, too)
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