Russian River Brewing Company

My first big beer excursion since acquiring a taste for the bubbly brew was to the Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, CA. I, like many others, had heard the wonder of the elusive Pliny the Elder IPA. My bar couldn't get it in stock and I was dying to try it. Luckily, a friend of mine managed to get their hands on one bottle at Lunardi's of all places and I got to sip the dredges. Taaassttyyy. So, I jumped at the chance to day-trip it on up to Santa Rosa with some classy ladies to drink some serious beer.

Now, the brewery doesn't give tours, but my friend's brother was our server, so I did get to walk through the brewing area at the end. Nevertheless, this experience was more about the consuming of beer and a little bit of inside knowledge about ingredients and the sort of collective of micro-breweries in the area.

Okay, so I recommend getting the taster if you go there. The fact that we even had to discuss this decision, unsure if we should or not, is mind blowing to me now. You have to. First of all, you're not going to be able to find these beers easily elsewhere. Secondly, they have some gnarly beers. You don't want to find yourself paying for a pint of something you're going out on a limb to try and then realize with that first taste that you and it ain't friends. Third, they give you a fairly comprehensive list of descriptions for all the beers, a list you won't get if you don't get the taster tray. Fourth, EIGHTEEN BEERS, PEOPLE.

The IPAs were all tasty. Pliny was as good as I remembered and Blind Pig was out of this world good. The beers fermented in used wine barrels were legitimately insane. Others loved them, but for me that flavor should not exist. Not in beer at least. There was a Valentine's beer called Rejection, which was surprisingly tasty. It wasn't too powerful, but lightly sweet and malty dark belgian with those floral hops I love so much. It's funny, with coffee I hate floral notes, with beer I love them. Hm.

One thing to know about this place before you go is that they have killer food. Killer. But it's not your typical burgers, sandwiches, and salads type of food fare. This is a pizza and beer bar. Don't ask for burgers. Don't ask why they don't have burgers. They hate this. Just read their guide to pairing food with beer at the end of the menu and try the Sicilian pizza if you know what's good for you.

Yum.