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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!

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Way Back Wednesday is back for 2025 starting in June! Join us at the Windsor brewery for this free vintage car meet-up every third Wednesday this summer! What`s in your garage? #waybackwednesday

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Way Back Wednesday is back for 2025 starting in June! Join us at the Windsor brewery for this free vintage car meet-up every third Wednesday this summer! What's in your garage? #waybackwednesday

Fresh Mind Circus Hazy IPA is now available on tap and in cans at our pub locations and for shipping in our online store!

This unique Hazy IPA gains its tropical notes of pineapple and mango from Strata, Azacca, and Mosaic hops. This beer acknowledges and celebrates everything that keeps us up at night. Maybe it’s work, the kids, a project you have been procrastinating, or building a brewery. We all have our own version of the Mind Circus!

Link in bio!

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Open post by russianriverbrewingofficial with ID 18028736357453760
Fresh Mind Circus Hazy IPA is now available on tap and in cans at our pub locations and for shipping in our online store! This unique Hazy IPA gains its tropical notes of pineapple and mango from Strata, Azacca, and Mosaic hops. This beer acknowledges and celebrates everything that keeps us up at night. Maybe it’s work, the kids, a project you have been procrastinating, or building a brewery. We all have our own version of the Mind Circus! Link in bio!

We are excited to sponsor this year`s Luther Burbank Rose Parade in Downtown Santa Rosa! To celebrate, the Downtown Pub will be opening early this Saturday at 10am! Join us on the patio to watch the parade roll past the pub!

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We are excited to sponsor this year's Luther Burbank Rose Parade in Downtown Santa Rosa! To celebrate, the Downtown Pub will be opening early this Saturday at 10am! Join us on the patio to watch the parade roll past the pub!

Just two weeks away! Join us for our first FREE Movie Night of 2025! We will be screening AMERICAN GRAFFITI, the George Lucas classic filmed in Sonoma County, in the Windsor Beer Garden Wednesday, May 28th!

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Open post by russianriverbrewingofficial with ID 18073958359920427
Just two weeks away! Join us for our first FREE Movie Night of 2025! We will be screening AMERICAN GRAFFITI, the George Lucas classic filmed in Sonoma County, in the Windsor Beer Garden Wednesday, May 28th!
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