FEATURED BEERS

from

Russian River Brewing Company

 

 

 

In 1997, Russian River Brewing Company (RRBC) was founded by Korbel Champagne Cellars in Guerneville , California . Vinnie Cilurzo was hired as the Brewmaster. At the Great American Beer Festival in 1999, RRBC and Vinnie were awarded "Small Brewing Company of the Year" and "Small Brewing Company Brewmaster of the Year". In 2002, Korbel decided to leave the beer business and sold the brewery to Vinnie and his wife, Natalie. Now located in Santa Rosa, California

 

The original Double IPA! Vinnie Cilurzo began homebrewing in 1989 while in college. In 1994 Vinnie started the Blind Pig Brewing Company in Temecula, CA, a small, low-budget mico-brewery known for their extremely hoppy IPA's - an IPA which won silver medals at both the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. Vinnie sold his share in Blind Pig and was hired to manage and brew at the Russian River Brewing Company, a start-up brewery by Korbel® Champagne in Guerneville, CA. In late 2002 Korbel decided to get out of the beer business and sold the Russian River name and brand to Vinnie who has moved the brewery to Santa Rosa, CA, 90 miles North of San Francisco, where he and his wife Natalie are opening a brew-pub which will serve homemade pizza and, of course, all of the Russian River Ales. Vinnie has won 10 awards at the Great American Beer Festival in the past six years and was named Small Brewing Company Brewmaster of the Year in 1999. Almost every beer that Vinnie makes commercially started out as a homebrew recipe at one point or another. Even as a professional brewer, Vinnie still homebrews at least 5 or 6 times a year.

This original homebrew recipe was the basis for Blind Pig IPA which won Silver Medals at the World Cup of Beer and the Great American Beer Festival in 1996, the last year Vinnie brewed it. The recipe list is extremely long with four different types of malt and six different additions of Chinook, Cascade and Centennial hops. Two 'dry hop' additions along with 2 oz of American Oak are added directly to the fermenter after the first week of fermentation. To say it is a very unique, extremely flavorful IPA is an understatement.

A Tale Of Two Pliny's

Pliny the Elder, born in 23 A.D., was a Roman naturalist, scholar, historian, traveler, officer, and writer. Pliny, and his contemporaries, created the original botanical name for hops, "Lupus Salictarius," meaning "wold among scrubs." Hop vines at that time, grew wild among willows. Pliny the Elder died in 79 A.D. while saving people during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. He was immortalized by his nephew, Pliny the Younger, who continued his uncle's legacy by documenting much of what his uncle experienced during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. This beer is an homage to the man who discovered hops and perished while being a humanitarian. Unlike many of the Russian River Brewing Company beers which are ageable, the beer inside this bottle is meant to be consumed fresh. Keep Pliny the Elder refrigerated and consume fresh to experience the explosive hop character.

8.0% ABV

92 IBU's

***Respect your Elder: Keep cold, drink fresh, do not age! Pliny the Elder is a historical figure, don't make the beer inside this bottle one! Not a barley wine, do not age! Age your cheese, not your Pliny! Respect hops, consume fresh! If you must, sit on eggs, not on Pliny. Do not save for a rainy day! Pliny is for savoring, not for saving! Consume Pliny fresh, or not at all! Does not improve with age! Hoppy beers are not meant to be aged! Keep away from heat!

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpts of this article are reproduced courtesy of Russian River Brewing Co.

For more information on these and the many other beers produced by Russian River Brewing Co., please visit their website by clicking on the Russian River Brewing Co. Logo Above