Ep. 72 - Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing Co.

Drink Beer, Think Beer With John Holl

A few weeks ago Vinnie Cilurzo the co-founder of Russian River Brewing Co. was on Steal This Beer and amid the hop soaked fun, he mentioned how the two breweries in the Russian River family – the pub in Santa Rosa, California and the new one in nearby Windsor – talk between each other to dial in recipes and make sure there is a united front.

This is a normal practice for brewers with multiple locations, but when it comes to beers are revered as STS Pilsner and Pliny the Elder, it is easy to be intrigued. During that podcast the conversation did not dive too deep, so over the course of the last few weeks John Holl reached out to Cilurzo over email and the two discussed brewing processes and how having a newer brewery with all the bells and whistles has changed long-standing recipes.

Eventually the two just decided it would be smart to just record a podcast about it, and here we are.

In fact, this show would have happened sooner but Cilurzo was tied up with the 2021 launch of Pliny the Younger, the triple IPA that is released once per year to great acclaim and long lines. Because of the pandemic the sales were moved into bottles and online and it was a learning experience for the brewery – especially with how many people wanted a chance to drink (or maybe trade) bottles of their own.

So, that’s where this conversations starts with Holl asking Cilurzo about Younger Day and the aftermath.

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• Host: John Holl
• Guests: Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing Co.
• Sponsor: The Beer Edge
• Tags: Beer, Hops, Lager, California, Pliny the Elder, Wine, Agriculture, Beer Quality