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About Us

Our History

About RRBC

Russian River Brewing Company was founded by Korbel Champagne Cellars in Guerneville, CA, in 1997. Vinnie was hired as the brewery’s brewmaster and initially sole employee. For the next 6 years, Vinnie continued to set the bar high for super hoppy and Belgian-inspired beers. Pliny the Elder, first brewed at the Korbel location in 1999, was one of the first commercially brewed Double or Imperial IPAs in America and won numerous awards over the years. It is still our most popular beer more than 20 years later.
In 2003, Korbel decided to get out of the beer business and transferred the rights to the Russian River Brewing Company name, all beer names, and the recipes to Vinnie and his wife, Natalie. We wrote a business plan, found 2 managing partners, and convinced 30 friends and family to invest in their new brewpub venture. In April 2004, we opened the doors to the next chapter of Russian River Brewing under our ownership.
Vinnie and Natalie posting with beers at a Pliny the Younger release
Our beers have won dozens of awards from the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup. Vinnie and the brewery were twice named “Brewery and Brewmaster of the Year” at both the GABF and World Beer Cup. In 2007, Vinnie was awarded the “Russell Scherrer Award for Innovation in Brewing”. We received the “Brewers Association Recognition Award” in 2017. But the most important award of all are the many beer enthusiasts who visit from around the world year after year!
Over the years, we were able to buy out all of our partners and investors. The decision was made in 2014 to build our dream brewery right here in Sonoma County. The search for property took nearly 2 years which allowed us time to assemble our “dream team” of architects, consultants, designers, and contractors. We also received a lot of helpful advice from their friends in the beer industry! We found 15 undeveloped acres in Windsor, CA, and were quickly immersed in the project of a lifetime.
Vinnie and Natalie at Russian River Brewing Windsor ribbon cutting
20 year employees on Russian River's 20th anniversary
On October 11, 2018, we opened the doors to our new brewpub! The entire brewery is 85,000 square feet and encompasses beer production for both clean beers and sour barrel-aged beers, administrative offices, a brewpub, an outdoor beer garden, a gift shop, tasting room/growler fills, guided and self-guided tours, and 2 acres of free parking. This increased capacity has allowed us to distribute more draft and bottled beer to markets in which we currently sell as well as open up some new territories within the state of California. The original Downtown Santa Rosa location continues to thrive offering small batch brews and tasty pizza. Vinnie, Natalie, and all our dedicated employees are excited to share a beer or two at both breweries with you!

Connect with us

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🎰LUCKY YOU!🎰 Lucky Winner IPA is back on tap at both pub locations! Developed on our 5-barrel pilot brewery, this West Coast IPA features Simcoe, Nectaron, Tangier, Mosaic, and Citra hops!

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Open post by russianriverbrewingofficial with ID 17901240261434032
🎰LUCKY YOU!🎰 Lucky Winner IPA is back on tap at both pub locations! Developed on our 5-barrel pilot brewery, this West Coast IPA features Simcoe, Nectaron, Tangier, Mosaic, and Citra hops!

Surprise! Blind Pig cans NOW available for a very limited time in both pubs, gift shops and in our online store! Happy Blind Pig Friday! Link in bio.

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Surprise! Blind Pig cans NOW available for a very limited time in both pubs, gift shops and in our online store! Happy Blind Pig Friday! Link in bio.

Next up for our summer beer releases: DDH Pliny the Elder! This two-stage double dry-hopped version of the original Pliny the Elder recipe is bursting with notes of pine, resin, and stone fruit. Available the first week of June in bottles and on draft for full distribution, as well as in cans at our pub locations and online store!

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Open post by russianriverbrewingofficial with ID 18115919635703086
Next up for our summer beer releases: DDH Pliny the Elder! This two-stage double dry-hopped version of the original Pliny the Elder recipe is bursting with notes of pine, resin, and stone fruit. Available the first week of June in bottles and on draft for full distribution, as well as in cans at our pub locations and online store!

Way Back Wednesday is back for 2026! Join us at the Windsor brewery for our vintage car meet-up this summer! Free and fun for the whole family! What`s in your garage? #waybackwednesday

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Open post by russianriverbrewingofficial with ID 18195550882318731
Way Back Wednesday is back for 2026! Join us at the Windsor brewery for our vintage car meet-up this summer! Free and fun for the whole family! What's in your garage? #waybackwednesday

We are brewing up some great limited release beers for the summer! First up: Mosaic Stack! This easy-drinking beer has beautiful hop aromas and flavors followed by a dry, hoppy finish. Mosaic hops give the beer a pronounced tropical, berry, and dank quality, while Simcoe adds a nice grapefruit note. Available in pub cans and for limited distribution on draft the first week of June!

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Open post by russianriverbrewingofficial with ID 18102680821807612
We are brewing up some great limited release beers for the summer! First up: Mosaic Stack! This easy-drinking beer has beautiful hop aromas and flavors followed by a dry, hoppy finish. Mosaic hops give the beer a pronounced tropical, berry, and dank quality, while Simcoe adds a nice grapefruit note. Available in pub cans and for limited distribution on draft the first week of June!

Did you know our much beloved in-house sauce, Pliny Sauce, is not only available for purchase at our pub locations, but also for shipping throughout the U.S.? A bit too spicy to be a BBQ sauce but too crave-able to just be relegated to hot sauce duty, Pliny Sauce goes great on wings, as a dip for your pizza, or get creative and use it however you see fit!

Link in bio.

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Open post by russianriverbrewingofficial with ID 18052706648729643
Did you know our much beloved in-house sauce, Pliny Sauce, is not only available for purchase at our pub locations, but also for shipping throughout the U.S.? A bit too spicy to be a BBQ sauce but too crave-able to just be relegated to hot sauce duty, Pliny Sauce goes great on wings, as a dip for your pizza, or get creative and use it however you see fit! Link in bio.
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