“The other brewers in the area are stiff competition, so thank you very much!” —Natalie Cilurzo
This is the first year the readers poll has included a category for Best Local Brewery—and Santa Rosa’s Russian River Brewing Company came out on top. “We’re very flattered,” says co-owner/president (with brewmaster husband, Vinnie) Natalie Cilurzo. “The other brewers in the area are stiff competition, so thank you very much!”
The brewery started at Korbel Champagne Cellars, but when Korbel decided to move away from beer in 2003, it offered Vinnie (then-brewmaster) and Natalie the rights to the brand. In 2004, the couple opened their downtown Santa Rosa pub, which brings in 50 percent of the company’s revenue. (The pub also offers a menu with all sorts of pizzas, salads, calzones, sandwiches and more, and features live local music on the weekends.)
The venture began with 28 employees and has since expanded to 75 (including a separate, solar-powered production facility), but Natalie is quick to point out that rumors of further expansion aren’t true. “At this point, we’re weighing options,” she says. “But it’s not in the planning stages.”
Each October, the brewery raises money for Sutter Breast Care Center of Santa Rosa. Last year, it donated close to $80,000. It’s also involved in a lot of other charitable fund-raising for local nonprofits throughout the year.
At the pub, there are always between 15 and 23 different beers on tap, depending on the brew schedule. The general focus is on hoppy beers, and most hops the brewery purchases are grown in Oregon and Washington.
There’s also a line of Belgian-style brews, with names inspired by breweries there that poke fun at the monasteries that brew beer. The first was Damnation. Then it was decided that you can’t have Damnation without Redemption, you need Salvation after Redemption…. “Our friends got involved after that, and it spiraled from there,” says Natalie.
Located where the Old Vic formerly stood, the brewery also pays homage to that popular pub with its dry Irish stout, OVL, which stands for “Old Vic Loyalists.” But the most popular brew it crafts, by far, is Pliny the Elder—a double IPA that makes up 60 percent of production. “It’s our flagship beer,” says Natalie. “I don’t know of another brewery whose flagship is a double IPA.”
You’ve likely also heard of its cult-status relative, Pliny the Younger, a triple IPA. It’s made once per year, released in early February—and is gone by the end of the month. “People come from all over the world to taste it,” says Natalie. It draws in so many visitors that Ben Stone, executive director of the Economic Development Board of Sonoma County, is working on an economic impact report about it. “Our little seasonal beer is making an impact,” says Natalie. “I’m really proud of that.”
Aside from those (and we’re just scratching the surface here—you’ll have to visit to see the full selection) there are always new things being released. Says Natalie, “You never know what Vinnie has up his sleeve.”
