![]() ![]() Pliny the Elder-the beer-debuted in 1999, but after a few years in the business Korbel lost interest. Vesuvius, thanks to the diligent chronicling of his adopted nephew, Pliny the Younger. from exposure to toxic fumes from the volcanic eruption of Mt. His story survived an untimely death in 79 A.D. Vinnie first learned of Pliny while reading a brewing dictionary. and who gained notoriety for having authored Historia Naturalis, a 37-volume compilation of scientific knowledge spanning a variety of subjects including horticulture and botany, and which contained what is believed to be the first-ever reference to hops. The Cilurzos’ prized ale is named after Pliny the Elder, a Roman military commander turned writer born in 23 A.D. The initial offerings were generic: golden ale, pale ale, amber ale, and porter, but Vinnie had other plans. Natalie worked in the tasting room at Silver Oak winery and finished her degree at Sonoma State, while Vinnie was hired by Korbel Champagne Cellars to help launch their new craft beer venture, Russian River Brewing Company. In 1997, Vinnie got out of Blind Pig and the couple moved to the Northern California wine country. They married in 1995, memorializing both their love for one another and for IPA by adorning their wedding rings with hop flowers. Natalie worked at the winery by day, attended Palomar Community College by night, and helped out at the brewery on the weekends. His Inaugural Ale is often credited as the first commercially available double IPA. In 1994, Vinnie co-founded Blind Pig Brewing Company in Temecula. She was 21, so she bought the beer, a selection of craft brew available at the time: Sierra Nevada, Anchor Steam, Pete’s Wicked Ale. Their first date was his 20th birthday in 1990. He worked for the family vineyard while Natalie worked at another winery down the street. Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale was among the first American-style India Pale Ales, and served as an inspiration for Cilurzo, who says, “I drank it, I dug it, and I started learning about it.”Ĭilurzo’s family owned a small winery in Temecula, California’s small, young yet burgeoning wine region, located inland between San Diego and Palm Springs. New Albion provided inspiration for Ken Grossman, the founder of Chico, Calif.-based Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. The roots of the craft brew industry, whose annual retail value is estimated to be $12 billion, can actually be traced to Sonoma County, where, in 1978, the New Albion Brewing Company was the first microbrewery licensed in the United States post-Prohibition. breweries in 1980 was around 100 by mid-2014 that number had grown to 2,538, with 2,483 of those defined as craft breweries (per the association’s classifications of small, independent, and traditional). According to the Colorado-based Brewers Association, the total number of U.S. That kind of buzz happens organically and unexpectedly, though the growth and popularity of craft beer had been well documented. For the next two months the Cilurzos and their staff apologized to thirsty patrons who’d come to taste what all the fuss was about. “By the end of the day my jeans were soaked thigh-high from the splash and our entire supply was gone,” says Natalie. That line outside Russian River stretched up the block when Natalie opened the doors at 11:00 a.m., and the taps never shut, as all hands on deck took turns filling 10-ounce glasses and 815 growlers, the half-gallon jugs favored by microbreweries. Just sayin’.Pliny the Younger went viral after being honored on in 2009 as the best beer in the world. Alaska Airlines flies direct to Santa Rosa.It takes about 13 hours to drive there from Seattle.On opening day 1,400 people showed up in the first few hours.The project was originally slated to cost about $30 million but ended up costing more like $50 million.Yes, Pliny the Elder is on tap, along with the brewery’s many other, exceptional but less-ballyhooed beers. More than a dozen Russian River beers on tap.See our previous story about the economic impact of Pliny Tourism. The annual release of Pliny the Younger, and the massive crowds that event draws, helped drive the decision to build the new facility.The Windsor location can hold 324 people. ![]() ![]() The Fourth Street pub in Santa Rosa can accommodate 135 guests it sees about 400,00 visitors per year.In addition to being a brewery, the 85,000 square foot facility, which occupies a 10-acre lot, includes a 200-seat restaurant, a beer garden, a tasting room, and a gift shop.The new facility is in Windsor, CA about 10 miles up Highway 101, north of the Russian River location in downtown Santa Rosa. ![]()
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