As an East Coast girl, I have finally made it to the sunny hills of Santa Rosa, CA to visit Russian River Brewing. It did not disappoint. This is not a fancy joint by any means, and I saddled myself up to a high top by the bar facing the entrance. I would say roughly 50% of the people that walked through the door were wide-eyed with ear-to-ear grins-- it was as if they had made the pilgrimage too! My sampler had 14 brews, and of course Pliny the Elder was my top pick (the Younger was not available due to the time of year). Sad to say my distributors in CT don't carry it so I can't sell it in my bars. When was the last time you (or saw others) found joy in a beer destination?
There are breweries popping up all over Michigan these days. There has been talk about how good Perrin Brewing Company is, but I just hadn't made it a point to get out there because there are so many other alternatives. The other weekend, a friend and I made it out there and it was GREAT! One of the best new places I've seen in a long time! It was very spacious for a new brewery, and the beer was great at that. Next place on my agenda is Rockford Brewing Company. Hoping it also impresses. Cheers!
