Russian River Brewing Company

Visited here with Mrs. CC after a hike at Lake Sonoma on 3-9-26 for lunch, a beer, and some take home brews. Placeholder.

Had a beer at the bar before a guided tour. I have been on plenty of tours but I still learned a lot about how they produce beer and what makes them special.

Lovely layout and a busy place, though it seemed the staff might’ve been stretched a tad thin for the crowd that was there. Friendly, for sure, but attentive, eh, ok. Beers are of course near the top of the game, but pretty limited in styles.

For food, not a major component, but..,
The pizza at the original spot looked good, but that wasn’t offered at the production facility. The burger was overdone and dry, though the fries were hot (but pretty unseasoned, which seems to be the norm around here more than I’d expect). Odd to sow bc d c a paragraph here, but com for the beer, and perhaps just order the wings.

 

(visited 6 Jul 2024; first visit here... visited the Santa Rosa location once, in 2013)

Upon approach, I was struck by how big the place is. Good for them. More beer for us... Their campus, as it were, still looks new and neat. I don't know what the Windsor laws allow, but some more outdoor activity area may be in order. For some reason, New Belgium comes to mind... The interior, cold and industrial, is in stark contrast to their Santa Rosa location, warm and inviting. I just can't help compare the two places, and I very much enjoyed the vibe (and pizza) in Santa Rosa. Here, not so much. Luckily, the beer selection kept me distracted... Tried most of the brands I can't get or have never seen in the Philly area. Checked off a lot of boxes. And the beers all tasted stellar and at their peak. Eventually ordered food. The sweet soy ginger wings weren't too shabby. Fulfilled the hunger... Service was professional and attentive. I wish I took the opportunity to ask some questions just out of curiosity. I overheard a bartender agree with another patron that a very dry beer (one I was actually drinking at that moment) was notably sweet. So are there knowledge gaps, hmm?... At any rate, I struck up a conversation with a dude from Reno. Nice chat. The crowd there (including many families) seemed well-behaved and chill. Personal tastes regarding sterile room ambiance aside, it's certainly a comfortable spot to drink some top-shelf beer. Worth at least one visit.

We stopped here for lunch and a beer and to finally check out this new location. It's a gorgeous building located at the edge of town. The front of the building facing the street has the brewery's sign, but the entrance is almost at the rear of this long structure. There is a large parking lot along one side, and the entrance is off the side street. The interior of the pub is nicely designed, and has a long bar to one side, but it has more of the look of a nice restaurant rather than a pub like the original Russian River location. A fireplace and a visible pilot system brewing area behind a glass wall offers some nice extra ambiance. The vibe is nice. The large brewery production area is not visible, but we saw where you could sign up for a tour, although we didn't look into doing so. A covered patio is adjacent to the dining area, and an open patio is beyond that. We arrived at late morning on a Wednesday and the place was not busy, so service was good.

The beer menu was almost identical to the Santa Rosa's list, and we had a sampler flight there the day before, so we each ordered a pint of a beer that we especially liked. The quality rating above for this review reflects the rating that was developed from our experience at the other pub. I don't think this brewery can make a beer that we wouldn't like.

The food was typical of most pub offerings, and we enjoyed what we ordered. The gift shop near the entrance to the pub has beers to go in bottles/cans. It's a great experience here and is highly recommended.

First impression: It's huge!
Two taprooms, several large seating areas indoors and out for dining, sipping or just hanging out. A store for takeout beer.
Large beer menu includes all of their current offerings. Tasters available for purchase.
The food is very good as well. Friendly, knowledgeable staff provides excellent service.

 

 

this new location absolutely rules, a totally different vibe than their santa rosa spot. its way more rural, sort of feels like a farm brewery, and its big, really big, a wonderful space and setting, destination worthy even independent of the world class beer. mellow when we were there on a sunny and breezy thursday afternoon for lunch, plenty of space in here. it has an almost cape cod feel, open and airy, wood and white, lots of natural light coming in. there is a large dining area and a bar in the front, and then through toward the back another long bar, open dining area, and expansive outdoor patio space, some covered some open, some grassy areas with relaxing chairs, picnic tables, and what appears to be a system of walking trails just outside of the fenced area, gorgeous place to post up and drink beer. there is also a small test brewery inside which is visible from the restaurant, i assume the production facility is much larger and out of sight in the large warehouse looking portion of the building, some barrels visible too around the place, there is an awesome gift shop with plenty of sexy beer to go, and just good vibes all around, wonderful setup here. we sat at the back bar, and were delighted to see some of the heady wild beers available, as well as a couple of other rarities and the usual clean beer suspects. i was stoked on the sauvignon blanc intinction, as well as the robert saison, but all the beer we had in here was predictably amazing. lunch was good, not a huge menu, but everything fresh, handmade, and slightly upscale compared to the typical brewpub, fitting for wine country and very tasty. service was friendly and chill, happy to pour samples and talk a little shop, i could have spent all day in here. i cannot recommend this place highly enough, obviously the beer speaks for itself, but its a great spot to visit, for me even superior to the original location!

 

If the old pub made you claustrophobic, fear not, this one is huge. Giant indoor space with multiple bars. An outdoor area with a giant lawn.

It's Russian River, so expect all the great standards and some new stuff. It feels criminal to pay $4 for a pint of Elder. Food is very good as well.

While the Santa Rosa brewery is a check-off on my BIBBL (Belgian Inspired Brewery Bucket List), the Windsor plant and store is newer and a good start.
While Windsor has a visual vibe of a large production facility on the edge of town, everything I saw was thoughtfully put together and, if I took a tour, I think this would be confirmed. RR's Quality is at the top. (And besides, they even named a beer after me, Robert.) Service at the store and bar seemed fine, but not exceptional. Their Selection was all RR stuff, but then their competition is rarely as accomplished.

I came only for the ales and did not order food. And I will do the same.... after I visit Santa Rosa.

 

 

 

A family-friendly and dog-friendly brewery. The food here is large enough you can just have dunner but makes it great is happy hour Sunday. Most of their drinks are only $2-$6 dollars, the same cost as a 4 oz sampler. They also have a separate place for getting growlers refilled and also offer a tour as well. Overall it is a great simple to just chill and enjoy a Sunday.