01/31/2019
Pliny The Younger Release
Pliny the Younger will make his 15th Annual return to Russian River Brewing Company February 1st through February 14th, 2019! For the first time Younger will be available at our new Windsor brewery as well as the original Downtown Santa Rosa location! It will be available on draft each day at our brewpubs until we run out of that day’s allocation. Younger is neither bottled nor available in growlers so more people will have the opportunity to enjoy it right from the source, or at a handful of select draft accounts. Following is some helpful information to make this year’s Younger Release fun and safe for everyone!
THE BEER:
Pliny the Younger is considered a “triple” IPA, simply meaning that it is higher in alcohol and has tons of hops. The alcohol should finish at about 10.25%, although it is remarkably dry for the amount of malt used in the recipe. It is loaded with hop flavors, bitterness, and aromatics. The hops used in this year’s recipe are of excellent quality from the 2018 harvest: Warrior, Amarillo, Simcoe, Centennial, CTZ, Chinook, Crystal, and Citra. We brewed Younger for the first time in 2005 as a winter seasonal, building upon the Pliny the Elder recipe while pushing the envelope with malt, hops, and alcohol just to see how far we could go! It is always brewed only once a year and released the first Friday in February, rain or shine.
THE MAN:
Pliny the Younger was the nephew and adopted son of Pliny the Elder. He was a lawyer and an author in Ancient Rome and witnessed the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD, which took the life of his uncle. Pliny the Younger lived from 61 AD to 112 AD. He wrote many letters which survive today and have great historical value. We thought it appropriate to also pay tribute to Pliny the Elder’s nephew by naming this special beer after him!
WHAT TO EXPECT IF YOU COME TO ONE, OR BOTH, OF OUR BREWPUBS:
We have made some positive changes over the years to help keep the line moving and limit over-consumption of high ABV beers! There is a 3 hour/3 Younger maximum to ensure that our guests will get in sooner and leave happy, but not drunk. But still plan on waiting in line especially if you are coming on a weekend, sometimes up to 8 hours. And if it rains, as it generally does in February, we will be forced to close our outdoor patio in Santa Rosa thus reducing our available seating. There are 2 things we simply cannot control: the weather, and how many people will show up to our brewpubs in February. Our Santa Rosa pub’s capacity is 135 people plus a few more on the patio during nice weather. The new brewpub in Windsor can hold up to 200 people. If the weather is nice you can also enjoy a beer in our large outdoor beer garden. The tasting room will be open for growler fills and 5 oz. tastes of other beers, but not Younger. A taste of Younger will, however, be a special added bonus on the guided tours!
Younger is served in a 10oz. glass with a maximum of 3 per person. We are morally and legally obligated to promote the responsible consumption of alcohol and may NOT serve anyone who is obviously intoxicated. This beer is only available for on-premise consumption. In addition to Pliny the Younger, we will have about 20 other excellent beers on tap for your enjoyment, many of which are available in growlers or bottles to go.
THE LINE:
In an effort to remain neighborly and responsible business owners, we kindly ask you to respect one another and our neighbors by complying with the following courtesies (and rules):
Open container laws are alive and well in Santa Rosa, and our ABC license in Windsor does not extend outside the building (other than the beer garden). There is no drinking in line at either location.
The City of Santa Rosa has a No Smoking Ordinance, stating there is no smoking ANYTHING within 20 feet of business entrances or where people gather. There are dedicated smokers poles positioned away from the line in Windsor.
Our neighboring businesses in Santa Rosa sometimes become upset with the line blocking their entrances. Please do not camp out in business doorways and be courteous when customers are trying to get by. Please remember our Downtown neighbors are putting up with our lines for 2 solid weeks! If you are asked to move because you are blocking an entrance, please politely move.
“Hey man, no cuts!” Does that sound like something you heard in grade school? Same rules still apply. Show up with your whole party, then take turns getting coffee, food, haircuts, shopping, or whatever. We have many great businesses in Downtown Santa Rosa that would love your support and can help make the time waiting a little more enjoyable. In Windsor you can take a self-guided tour, make a reservation for a guided tour, and peruse the Gift Shop. Something fun to do to break up the time!
Please leave your easy-ups, tents, and other structures at home. We have had many problems with these blowing around, crashing into windows, blocking business entrances, and simply left behind. Chairs, umbrellas, rain gear, warm clothes, hot coffee, and a really good book (or 2) are strongly encouraged!
Bottle sharing is not allowed inside the breweries. Our brewpubs will have about 20 excellent beers on tap, many of which you can get nowhere else!
GETTING HERE:
By Air: Sonoma County Airport (STS) Located in the heart of Northern California’s world renowned Wine Country, STS is the only airport that offers scheduled air service into the North Bay region. Daily nonstop flights include: Alaska Airlines to Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Portland, and Seattle; American Airlines to Phoenix Sky Harbor; and United Airlines to San Francisco. Twice a week nonstop flights are offered by Sun Country Airlines™ to Minneapolis. All Airlines offer a wide-range of connecting flights to destinations in the continental U.S., Mexico, and beyond. Book flights now.
By Train: Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) is the San Francisco Bay Area’s newest transportation option for travel, offering passenger rail service in Sonoma and Marin counties. SMART’s initial 43 miles of rail corridor includes 10 stations, from the Sonoma County Airport to Downtown San Rafael. Both breweries are located very close to a SMART train stop. For more schedules and routes, check out the SMART website. THIS JUST IN: The Town of Windsor is providing a FREE shuttle from the Airport Blvd. train stop to our Windsor location as well as other breweries, bars, restaurants and local hotels every day during the release and hopefully beyond! More info coming soon!
By Car: Both breweries are easily accessibly and right off HWY 101. Pick your favorite navigation app of choice and plug-in our address: 725 4th Street Santa Rosa, CA 95404 or 700 Mitchell Lane, Windsor, CA 95492.
Pliny the Younger will make his 15th Annual return to Russian River Brewing Company February 1st through February 14th, 2019! For the first time Younger will be available at our new Windsor brewery as well as the original Downtown Santa Rosa location! It will be available on draft each day at our br...
