While Natalie Cilurzo was working full-time at a winery, Vinnie Cilurzo bought a 7-barrel system from Electric Dave, a guy that was in jail in Bisbee, Arizona, for selling marijuana mail-order. Electric Dave sold Vinnie an old soup vessel for a brewing kettle, a DIY mash tun, and plastic fermenters before the Cilurzos opened Blind Pig in Temecula in 1994. Vinnie was already a homebrewer and had helped form the local Temecula Valley Homebrew Club. Russian River brewery was started in 1997 by Korbel Champagne Cellars, a Guerneville, California-based winery specializing in “California Champagne,” or sparkling wine of the méthode champenoise persuasion. Korbel’s winemaker was also a passionate homebrewer and talked his boss into opening a brewery. Vinnie Cilurzo, who had worked at Korbel for several years, was hired to do it. Immediately prior, Vinnie had been churning out double IPAs at the Blind Pig. Those beers fell on deaf ears, but Pliny soon made its mark. In 2002, Korbel shut down the brewery and, after six years, Cilurzo lost his job. He negotiated the rights to the beer names, and the Cilurzos raised $1 million and then reopened Russian River Brewing as its own separate entity in Santa Rosa, California, in 2004 and quickly made themselves famous in the beer world. Today, Peaks & Pints presents a flight of Russian River beers — a flight we’re calling Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Russian River Brewing.
Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Russian River Brewing
Russian River Supplication
7.75% ABV
Eighteen years ago, Vinnie Cilurzo introduced Northern Californian palates to sour beers. He aged his sours in wine barrels procured from Sonoma county wineries. One of his early masterpieces, Supplication, remains at the top of its class. It’s a brown ale aged for a year in Pinot Noir barrels with cherries added. Inspired by Belgian practices used in making lambic beers, Supplication is fermented with 100 percent Brettanomyces, plus Lactobacillus and Pedicoccus bacteria. Expect delicious subtle maltiness with a bright sour cherry flavor, and just a hint of Brett.
Russian River Consecration
10% ABV
Consecration is a dark ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels for 8-12 months with currants, Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus. A Lambic-style beers, the base for Consecretion is fermented in stainless steel, and then transferred to the barrels with the fruit and Brettanomyces. Two to three months into barrel-aging, the souring bacteria is added. Expect notes of black currant, black pepper, Brett, plum, blackberry, and black cherry.
Russian River Hop Growers Tribute Series: Crosby Hops
6.5% ABV
Another beer from Russian River’s “Hop Grower Tribute Series”, Crosby Hops is an IPA brewed with Comet, Chinook, Amarillo, and Strata hops from Crosby Hops, long standing 600-acre family hop farm is based in Oregon’s heralded Willamette Valley. Nestled between the Cascade Mountains and the Oregon Coast, with its temperate climate, the Willamette Valley is an ideal hop growing environment, known for producing some of the finest aroma hops on earth. Russian River Hop Growers Tribute Series: Crosby Hops offers aromas and flavors focused on stone fruit and citrus dominate this beer with a clean, crisp finish.
Russian River HopFather
7% ABV
Hopfather started out back in the day when Russian River had left over Amarillo and Centennial hops. Over the years they have upgraded the recipe with some new hop varieties to enhance the already beautiful hop foundation. Brewed once a year, if the hops are available, this beer is all about the hops with pine notes plus a nice balance with malt and alcohol.
Russian River Pliny the Elder
8% ABV
Pliny the Elder first appeared in 1999, and year by year it gained a following. The beer’s mighty name has almost certainly helped create the sensation. Pliny the Elder was named after the great Roman naturalist who first described, among many elements of the natural world, the wild European ancestor of hops, the plant so essential to beer making. Brewed with Amarillo, Centennial, CTZ, Cascade, Warrior, and Simcoe hops, the double IPA boasts balance and body where some other double IPAs just burn. In the glass, it glows a godly gold, smells notably of pine sap and needles, and carries a reassuring and delicious backbone of caramel.
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