Russian River - New Brewery Up and Running!

Just got the email notice today in my inbox and I'm just tickled at the idea that Vinnie will be able to share more of his gift with the world. I implore those who haven't had a RR brew to seek them out. I know that it can be hard at times depending on where you are but it's worth the effort, trust me.

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This has been a long, stressful, and exciting week! On Thursday, May 8th, we finally brewed our first batch of beer at the new production brewery in Santa Rosa! Of course, it was far from the perfect brew day. Vinnie arrived at 6am and left at 4:30am… ouch. This after only several months of working 14 hours a day, but at least he is smiling! However, the 15 hour brew did not break the record: his first batch at Blind Pig in 1994 was a double IPA which took 19 hours! We had friends visiting on Thursday, in town for the Boonville Beer Fest, whom we invited to stay with us not knowing we would be brewing the very first batch that day. Good thing they are brewers because they were immediately put to work! Melissa and David- thank you for staying up until 2:30am helping out with our first brew!

The first beer brewed on the new/used 50 barrel Dogfish Head brewhouse was Consecration- a sour beer which will age for a year in Cabernet barrels with black currents and the usual bugs and critters. Today, Saturday, I decided to forego Boonville to help Vinnie brew the first batch of Pliny the Elder! We don’t brew together anymore, now that we are business partners. So today was a very special day for me! Thank you so much to Todd and Mike for helping with today’s brew. And thank you to the 15 or so staff members who represented us in Boonville and had the privelege of answering the “Where’s Vinnie?” question all day! For the record, Vinnie was with me brewing more Pliny!

Enough about us, already! Congratulations to Steve, our sound engineer/band booker, and his lovely wife, Eiko. They were married April 27th at Furlong Gulch on a beautiful Sonoma Coast day! We are honored to welcome Eiko to our Brewery family!

So I am sitting in Vinnie’s office at the new brewery writing to you while Vinnie and Todd are cleaning up from today’s brew! Sometimes it does not suck to be me! Happy Mother’s Day to our mothers, Audrey and Patti, and all beer drinking mothers out there!

Damn, I wish I could get me some RR here on the East Coast... aren't they suppposed to be starting to distribute out here at some point? I swear, the handful of RR beers I have been blessed to sample are all in my all-time top ten; I don't know how he does it, but all are simply outstanding beers.

the_bird said:

Damn, I wish I could get me some RR here on the East Coast... aren't they suppposed to be starting to distribute out here at some point? I swear, the handful of RR beers I have been blessed to sample are all in my all-time top ten; I don't know how he does it, but all are simply outstanding beers.

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There has been talk of distro but nothing has really come of it - we still can't get but a few beers here in LA (Damnation is pretty regular now). Been the same with DFH here in California for many years and we are just now getting regular distribution.

Pliny the Elder has to be one of my top five all time. I really hope that more folks are able to experience these beers and I'm genuinely excited to hear such good news.

Pliny's incredible... I really want to make a golden strong like Damnation... Santification was one of the most unique beers I've ever had the chance to sample, and was *almost* good enough to convince me to introduce Brett to my brewing... I've got a bottle of Salvation that I've been saving, as well.

Now that they have moved we are finally supposed to get Blind Pig and Pliny the Elder in bottles, anytime!!

Originally posted by the_bird
Damn, I wish I could get me some RR here on the East Coast... aren't they suppposed to be starting to distribute out here at some point?

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East U.S. = Areas coming soon
http://russianriverbrewing.com/web/accounts/index.html

When I was at the brewery a few weeks ago, I was told that they will be in Seattle in July sometime. The only RR beer we get here now is Deviation which is wonderful.

Down here in Orange, CA there is a place that regularly has RR IPA and Pliny the Elder on tap. Pliny the Younger and Blind Pig are on rotation a few times a year, whenever they can get them. Up until a little while ago they had Collaboration Not Litigation (the Russian River Salvation/Avery Salvation blended belgian strong ale) on tap. And I can usually find Damnation, and a few of their other Belgians somewhere.

Yea, we get Collaboration Not Litigation here pretty regularly in bottle and on draft.

I was fortunate to get Pliny the Younger at San Diego Brewing Co. when I was down there for CBC a few weeks ago.

'Topia, THANK YOU AGAIN for hooking me up last year!

I had my first Pliny on tap at Lucky Baldwins in Pasadena. It tends to rotate...Najas, Fathers Office, Etc. Just a pain to get to any of these places (or anywhere in LA). I can't wait for bottles, just can't wait.

gwood said:

The first beer brewed on the new/used 50 barrel Dogfish Head brewhouse was Consecration- a sour beer which will age for a year in Cabernet barrels with black currents and the usual bugs and critters.

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And I was wondering what I was going to brew with my new Russian River bugs. :rockin: Done. Thanks gwood.

Cabernet soaked oak cubes and a dowel are easy, what about currants though?

edit> Found this: http://beernews.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/russian-river-consecration-back.jpg
Anybody, and by anybody I mean Brewtopia who else, have the Toronado?

also> "Consecration is a dark Belgian style ale aged in American oak Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. Not only do we use Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, & Pediococcus, we also add currants to beer while it is aging in the barrels."

I was in the RR last week and Vinnie said that new brewery was designed to allow for distribution. The current brew pub is just too small to keep up with demand. The good thing is that the folks at RR are committed to quality and when they do distribute, it will be good.

All good news...more RR please!!

Originally posted by landhoney
edit> Found this: http://beernews.org/wp-content/uploa...ation-back.jpg
Anybody, and by anybody I mean Brewtopia who else, have the Toronado?

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I've never had the opportunity to try Toronado's 20th. But interestingly enough, it sounds like Grapes of Wrath which is a strong dark Belgian aged in a Cabernet Savignon barrel with Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus & Pediococcus.

Looking forward to the Consecration. There's a company at Pike Place Market here in Seattle that sells these condensed fruit syrups that have no added sugars, just the fruit. I believe they have Black Currant. I bet they would work.