Beer has come a long way from the days when the only choices available were light or regular. In the past two decades, the flavors and styles on tap have grown into a booming industry that now satisfies patrons thirsty for fruity saisons, triple IPAs and barrel-aged sours. 

Craft beer, once a niche market for a community of homebrewers and beer aficionados, has spilled out across the nation in record numbers. As of 2024, there are over 9,700 breweries in the country creating unique and flavorful concoctions of hops, malt and yeast. 

Sonoma County, and Santa Rosa in particular, reigns supreme in this golden age of beer with riches in the form of world-renowned craft breweries. With an ever-growing number of first-class beer venues to choose from, it can be hard for beer-lovers to plan their Sonoma suds adventures. For first-time visitors wondering where to start, we present a sampling of our favorite local breweries below. Cheers! 

HenHouse Brewing Company, Santa Rosa/Petaluma

For beer aficionados, a handful of craft breweries make Sonoma County stand out – among them is HenHouse. HenHouse co-founders Collin McDonnell and Scott Goyne founded the brewery in 2012, and sold bottled beers exclusively at the Petaluma brewery. Four years later, they opened a Santa Rosa taproom; an industrial space featuring free popcorn and the Red Horse Pizza food truck out front.

Now in its 13th year, HenHouse continues to churn out the kind of ales, sours and stouts that attract beer snobs from near and far. Their HenHouse IPA and Chemtrails IPA are two of the best IPAs we’ve tried and the limited-release Big Chicken DIPA is one of the most sought after brews made in Sonoma County.

322 Bellevue Ave., Santa Rosa; 1333 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, henhousebrewing.com

Cooperage Brewing Company, Santa Rosa 

Cooperage founder, head brewer and Orange County transplant, Tyler Smith has turned a decade of brewing in a garage into one of the premier craft breweries in one of the premier craft brewery locations in the world.

The brewery, located in an industrial warehouse, has become a favorite destination for beer enthusiasts looking for unique and well crafted pale ales — The Wyatt Terp is a must-try for IPA lovers. Cooperage also features food trucks for the hungry, a giant projector screen for sports fans and an arcade machine with joystick classics for those looking for some old-school fun. Just last year, Cooperage opened a second location in downtown Santa Rosa.

981 Airway Court, Suite G, and 575 Ross St., Santa Rosa, 707-293-9787, cooperagebrewing.com

Fogbelt Brewing Company, Santa Rosa/Healdsburg

Founded in 2013 by Paul Hawley and Remy Martin, Fogbelt Brewing Company is another reason why Santa Rosa is repeatedly named a top of craft beer destination. Like the name of the brewery, Fogbelt’s brews pay tribute to the North Coast — each flagship beer is named after a coastal redwood tree.

From the crisp Atlas Blonde Ale to the robust Armstrong Stout, beer flights connoisseurs will not be disappointed with what’s on tap. The brewery is also host to one of the best brewery kitchens we’ve encountered: try the fish tacos with pickled radish and chipotle crema. In 2022, the brewery opened Fogbelt Station in Healdsburg.

1305 Cleveland Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-978-3400; 410 Hudson St., Healdsburg, 707-473-8532, fogbeltbrewing.com

Moonlight Brewing Company, Santa Rosa

Moonlight head brewer Brian Hunt is old school. Hunt was crafting brews before there was even a craft beer industry, and his Moonlight Brewing became the first microbrewery in Santa Rosa when it opened in 1992.

The Moonlight brewery process relies on a no-frills approach: sight, smell and taste determine when a beer is ready and barley, grains and herbs make up the main ingredients. A sip on a Moonlight beer will bring you back to a time when the beer world was not dominated by hoppy IPAs; and the San Francisco-style, black lager “Death and Taxes” will make the previously pure join the dark side, for sure.

3350 Coffey Lane, Santa Rosa, 707-755-4951, moonlightbrewing.com

Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa/Windsor

What is there to say that has not already been said about this Santa Rosa brewing behemoth? Russian River has won just about every beer award you can win, garnered worldwide fame and sent beer lovers into a February frenzy for the past 20 years with limited-release Pliny the Younger.

While the brewery’s hoppy Plinys (Younger and Elder) are definitely worth a try, the less intense, well-balanced and flavorful Blind Pig IPA should also be included on your beer bucket list. An added, and sometimes overlooked, bonus is the family-friendly atmosphere at the brewery (including a kids menu). But leave junior at home for the annual Pliny pilgrimage, no kid (and few adults) want to wait in line for hours.

725 Fourth St., Santa Rosa; 700 Mitchell Lane, Windsor, 707-545-2337, russianriverbrewing.com

Iron Ox Brewing Company, Santa Rosa

Founder Kevin Robinson spent 10 years plowing through the beer and wine industry before he opened his own Santa Rosa brewery in 2015, originally called Plow Brewing Co. until changing the name to Iron Ox in 2020. While Iron Ox may not enjoy the kind of ballyhoo other breweries on this list do, that’s no loss to Robinson; as the brewery website states: “We are not ones to follow the trend or make beer for the masses. We make beer for us.”

Iron Ox brews without chemicals, extracts or finings (a compound agent added to beer to improve clarity or adjust flavor/aroma), making every beer vegan-friendly. The taproom is small and the intimate atmosphere makes this an ideal spot for escaping the crowds while relaxing with a cold one. Order the Sonoma Coast Pils and Steel Share IPA.

3334 Industrial Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-843-4583, ironoxbeer.com

Shady Oak Barrel House, Santa Rosa

Calling themselves the “The Shady Bunch,” the team at Shady Oak is committed to fostering a family-like vibe at its taproom and beer garden while supporting the community. The brewery plays host to a variety of North Bay vendors, musicians and artists in its large indoor venue. Find an assortment of changing brews on tap, from hard seltzers to classic West Coast IPAs.

420 First St., Santa Rosa, 707-575-7687, shadyoakbrewing.com

Old Possum Brewing Co., Santa Rosa

Old Possum sources hops from Sonoma County farmers, so guests know they’re supporting local when they dine on barbecue from the kitchen and wash the meal down with a crushable IPA. Standout beers include the Interstellar Stout, Disturbance Pale Ale and Fresh Sonoma IPA.

357 Sutton Place, Santa Rosa, 707-303-7177, oldpossumbrewing.com

Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma

A North Bay staple for the past three decades, Lagunitas continues to impress beer aficionados by producing one-of-a-kind, boundary-pushing interpretations of traditional brews with heavy hitting flavor. Flagship classics include Little Sumpin’, Lagunitas Pils, Aunt Sally, Hop Stoopid and Brown Shugga. Lagunitas’ Petaluma location provides one of the best atmospheres to enjoy a beer with a live music venue, inviting outdoor patio, full kitchen, photo booth and gift shop.

1280 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, 707-284-1020, lagunitas.com

Old Caz Beer, Rohnert Park

Just four months after opening a new brewpub in Rohnert Park’s SOMO Village, Old Caz Beer’s One Way IPA took second place at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival. If that isn’t enough reason to visit Old Caz, then its rotating lineup of stellar food trucks are sure to entice. The food trucks that frequent the brewpub include the Japanese-style Shokakko, pizza pop-up Gabacool Provisions and local brothers-owned Galvan’s Eatery. There’s nothing quite like washing down birria tacos with a crisp IPA.

1500 Valley House Drive, Suite 110, Rohnert Park, 707-665-6668, oldcaz.com

Parliament Brewing Company, Rohnert Park

This family-owned brewery, with beer master Justin Bosch at the helm, has a healthy mix of drafts on tap to match any taste. Some favorites include the crisp Mexican-style lager “Los Tecolotes,” the hazy IPA “Kaleidoscope” and the fruity sour “Berry Pie.” Find coveted local food trucks parked at Parliament every day, such as Shokkako, API Hot Chicken and War Pigs Craft Kitchen.

5865 Labath Ave., Suite 9, Rohnert Park, 707-776-6779, parliamentbrewing.com

Barrel Brothers Brewing Company, Windsor

Barrel Brothers, like the name implies, is a family affair. The brewery was founded by brothers-in-law, Wesley Deal and Daniel Weber, and their father-in-law, Tom Sather in 2015. Considering themselves akin to alchemists, the family concocts magical potions from water, grain, hops and yeast. Their beers run the spectrum from light to dark. The “Blonde Voyage” Belgian ale makes for an ideal barbecue beverage, while the “Dark Sarcasm” porter is packed with chocolate, mocha and vanilla. Their “Naughty Hops” IPA is brewed with their revolutionary, ‘Hop Spanker’ technology. The Windsor tap room may be on the small side for some, but there are plenty of fresh beers on tap to enjoy.

9238 Old Redwood Highway, Suite 128, Windsor, barrelbrothersbrewing.com

CUVER Belgian Brewers, Windsor

Kids and pets are welcome at this Windsor brewery’s spacious patio while the adults sip citrusy lagers and rich ales. Among the top picks of brews here is the signature Pepperwood, a saison ale that won a gold medal in the 2024 California State Fair’s Commercial Craft Beer competition. Food trucks pull up to the taproom from 4-7 p.m. most Fridays.

7704 Bell Road, Suite A, Windsor, 707-687-0577, cuverbrewing.com

Crooked Goat Brewing, Sebastopol/Petaluma

If you like to wet your whistle with some wheat brew, then Crooked Goat is the place for you. This Sebastopol brewery crafts unique wheat ales infused with flavors from honey, blackberries, raspberries — even bubblegum (featured in the aptly named “Bazooka Joe”). Crooked Goat also boasts a selection of hoppy, high ABV percentage IPAs, such as the West Coast-style “Ibex” and the apricot- and vanilla-infused “Foggy Notion” DIPA. Brewmaster Will Erickson and crew took Crooked Goat from a garage to the 10-barrel system taproom at The Barlow, winning The People’s Choice Award at the Santa Rosa Battle of the Brews in 2015. Crooked Goat opened a second taproom in Petaluma in 2022. This summer through Sept. 13, the Sebastopol location is hosting a free summer concert series every Saturday.

120 Morris St., Suite 120, Sebastopol, 707-827-3893; 110 Howard St., Petaluma, 707-559-5691, crookedgoatbrewing.com

Sonoma Spring Brewing Company, Sonoma

At Sonoma Springs Brewing Company, the only brewery located in the city of Sonoma, there’s an expansive lineup of California and German-style beers. In keeping with the craft beer trend, all Sonoma Springs brews have fun, catchy names: “Pacific Coast Hopway,” “Dreaming Out Loud,” and “Subliminal Gold IPA” are a few examples. With over 20 fresh beers on tap, there’s plenty to choose from at the taproom.

19449 Riverside Drive, Suite 101, Sonoma, 707-938-7422, sonomaspringsbrewing.com

Maci Martell contributed to this article.

The post Russian River and More: Best Sonoma County Breweries for First-Time Visitors appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

A chicken is on the run. We’re not talking about the feathery, poultry kind but a big hoppy one. And now is your chance to catch it.

This Thursday, Feb. 6, marks the eighth annual release of Henhouse Brewing Company’s Big Chicken double IPA. As we speak, Bay Area beer enthusiasts are getting ready to seek out the rare bird.

Like Russian River Brewing Company’s Pliny the Younger, Big Chicken is a limited- and controlled-release beer. Unlike “Younger,” which is available during a two-week period each February, Big Chicken is only available up to three days in February. The beer’s unusually high hop content (twelve pounds per barrel) makes it a fragile brew that perishes fast — this is the reason it is brewed, kegged and tapped in a single day.

“Big Chicken is the extreme of our focus on freshness,” said Henhouse Brewing Company’s president Scott Goyne. “Beer is a far more perishable product than most folks realize — hop flavor and aroma degrade fast — so it’s important to drink hoppy beer in its short window of freshness.”

The coveted brew usually runs out within two days, which leaves only a small window to get a taste. Its limited availability only adds to its allure, as is the case with Pliny the Younger, a publicity stunt both Russian River Brewing Company and Henhouse Brewing Company have leveraged to their advantage.

This year, Big Chicken will be available at HenHouse’s Santa Rosa and Petaluma taprooms, Feb. 6  to Feb. 8. Both tasting rooms will be open 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday. (There is a two four-pack per person, per day allotment, as well as two 14-ounce pours per person, per day). 

Big Chicken will also be available in the following locations: 

Locations With Big Chicken on Tap

Alameda

Lucky 13

Straw Hat Pizza

Alamo

Ej phair Alamo

Extreme Pizza Alamo

Albany

Albany Taproom

Berkeley

Bobby G’s Pizzeria

Cask on College

Cornerstone

Tupper & Reed

Benecia

Sailor Jack’s

Brentwood

Brentwood Emporium

Hop Asylum

Brentwood Craft aka Sand Creek

Concord

BJs Concord

Concord Taphouse

Eureka! Concord

The Hop Grenade

Cotati

Flagship Taproom

Danville

Pete’s Brass Rail

The Growler

Dublin

Caps and Taps

Three Sheets

El Cerrito

The Little Hill Lounge

Emeryville

Prizefighter

Fairfax

Split Rock Tap and Wheel

Healdsburg

Coyote Sonoma

Elephant in the Room

Healdsburg Bar & Grill

Kenwood

Salt & Stone

Lincoln

Infusion

Livermore

Beach Hut Deli

First Street Alehouse

Hops and Sessions

Sauced BBQ Livermore

Tap 25

Hop Devine

Martinez

Slow Hand BBQ Martinez

Mill Valley

Proof Lab

Napa

Napa Palisades Saloon

Squeeze Burger Napa

Hop Creek Pub

Novato

Hopmonk Novato

Extreme Pizza

Beer Craft

Oakland

Beer Revolution

Ben N’ Nicks

Brotzeit Lokal

Cato’s Ale House

Degrees Plato

Magpie

Paulista

Philomena

Portal

Rosamunde Oakland

The Good Hop

Tiger’s Taproom

The Trappist

Occidental

Barley & Hops

Union Hotel Occidental

Orinda 

Fourth Bore

Petaluma

Twin Oaks

Brewsters Beer Garden

McNear’s

Ray’s Deli and Tavern

Roaring Donkey

Seared Grill- Petaluma

Buffalo Billiards

Speakeasy

Taps Petaluma

Hank’s Petaluma

The Block

Pleasant Hill

Jack’s Taps

Slow Hand BBQ Pleasant Hill

Pleasanton

Lokanta Pleasanton

Oyo

Bottle Taps

Mckay’s

Porky’s Pizza Palace

Rohnert Park

Beer Craft

Roseville

Final Gravity

Bar 101

Sacramento

Hop Gardens

Cap Hop Shop

San Anselmo

Creekside Pizza

San Francisco

Flying Pig

Giordano Bros.

Alembic

Barrelhead Brew House

Beer Hall

Beer Nerds

Church Key

For Point Valencia

City Beer Store

Crafty Fox

Dark Horse Inn

Devil’s Slide Taproom

Emporium

Fermentation Lab

Fly Bar

Chruchill

Foghorn Taproom

The Showdown

Bloodhound

Hops & Hominy

Hopwater Distribution

Liquid Gold

MIkkeller Bar

Monaghan’s

Monk’s Kettle

Ocean Ale House

Old Devil Moon

Richmond Republic Draught House

Rosamunde Mission

Rusty’s Southern

Sessions

Sea Star

The Ave

The Brew Coop

The Page

Toronado

Zeitgeist

Chomp N Swig

Hardwood Bar & Smokery

Public House

Local Tap

Holy Water

San Leandro

Porky’s Pizza Palace

Son’s of Liberty

The Cooler

San Rafael

Flat Iron

Libation Taproom

Pint Size Lounge

Tam Commons

Santa Rosa

Belly

Brew

Epicenter

Everybody’s Tappin

Juncture Taproom

La Rosa

Local Barrel

Mayacama Golf Club

Mission Kitchen Bar

Ricardo’s Bar and Grill

Rincon Valley Tap Room

Santa Rosa Golf & Country Club

Steele & Hops

Toad in the Hole

Trail House

Westside Grill

Whiskey Tip

Whole Foods Coddingtown

Wilibees SR

Sebastopol

Hopmonk Sebastopol

Ramen Gaijin

Community Market

Sonoma

Hopmonk

Tiburon

SF Yacht Club

Tracy

Delta Brews

Walnut Creek 

Extreme Pizza

Hops & Scotch

Ol Beer Cafe

Rotator Taproom

Sauced BBQ

Windsor

Barley & Bine

Mountain Mikes

Super Burger

Olivers Tavern

Locations With Big Chicken in Cans 

Brentwood

Brentwood Emporium

Hop Asylum

Calistoga

Cal Mart

Concord

Hop Grenade

Cotati

Flagship Taproom

Olivers Market

Dublin

Caps & Taps

Three Sheets

Healdsburg

Big Johns

Shelton’s

Tip Top Liquors

Mill Valley

Mill Valley Market

Novato

BeerCraft

Harvest Market

Oakland

Degrees

Good Hop

Petaluma

Penngrove Market

Charley’s Liquor

Petaluma Market

Steel Bear

Wilibees

Rohnert Park

BeerCraft

Roseville

Final Gravity

Sacramento

Hop Garden

San Anselmo

Ludwig’s

San Francisco

City Beer

Liquid Gold

San Rafael

Libations

Marin Bev

Santa Venetia

Santa Rosa

Bevmo Santa Rosa Ave

Bottle Barn

Juncture

Local Barrel

Molsberry Market

Olivers- Motecito

Olivers- Stony Point

Pacific Market

Rincon Valley Wine & Craft

Trailhouse

Whole Foods- Coddingtown

Willibees Santa Rosa

Sausalito

Driver Market

Sebastopol

Andy’s Produce

Community Market

Fiesta Market

Fircrest Market

Olivers- Windsor

Pohley’s

Walnut Creek

Ol Beer Cafe

Rotator Taproom

The post HenHouse Brewing’s Big Chicken Is Released Today, Here’s Where to Find It appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

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We love hidden restaurant gems that take a little work to find. This one takes a whole lot of work to find, but it’s well worth the screaming match with your GPS. The well-tucked away Barley and Bine is the newest addition to Windsor’s Artisan Alley — a collection of artisan wine, spirit and cider producers that are a boozy interjection among commercial tile makers, auto body shops and the Windsor Gymnastics Center.

Almost invisible behind beefy pickup trucks and stacked harvest bins, Barley and Bine’s entrance is a completely unimpressive door surrounded by concrete bricks and aluminum siding. Don’t be put off, because inside you’ll find a charming spot to grab a table or a seat at the bar and peruse the 32 beers, cider and kombucha on tap. I can pretty much guarantee there will be at least three bearded guys sitting at the tap room at any given moment doing the same thing you are.

As reticent beer drinkers, we obviously reach first for the food menu. Which is a solid idea, because you’ll need a Tot-Tine as a solid base for the forthcoming suds. Yes, Tot-tine—the lovechild of Ore-Idea Tater Tots and Canadian poutine (brown gravy, cheese curds, and fries), this hot mess of deliciousness isn’t exactly a looker, but bacon, melty mozzarella, green onions with gravy soaked tater tots has loads of personality. I dare you not to fall a little in love with them.

The small kitchen also serves up simple flatbread pizzas, like the Hawaiian-inspired Hula and a tasty prosciutto and fig version. There’s simpler fare for kids — and yes, kids are welcome here with a little corner filled with toys and a chalkboard to keep them occupied while you kick back a couple brews.

Several computer screens above the bar show the dizzying selections, but if you’re overwhelmed, just ask the bartender for a little guidance. As a reticent beer drinker, we were thrilled to try 5oz. pours of Russian River’s Supplication (a sour brown ale aged in pinot noir barrels with sour cherries) and a raspberry lambic beer. I almost liked a couple of IPAs, but ti’s still a taste I’m acquiring.

Take a minute to check out their neighbors, Tilted Shed Ciderworks, Sonoma Brothers Distilling and Two Shepherds and Colagrossi Wines, most of whose products you can also find in the taproom.

If you get lost, just follow the bearded guys who look thirsty.

Open 11a.m. to 10pm. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. 11a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Closed Tuesdays. 7765 Bell Road, Windsor, 707-657-7774, barleybinebeercafe.com.

The post Barley and Bine: Secret Windsor Taproom appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Updated February 6, 2020. Find 2020 locations here. 

A chicken is on the run. We’re not talking about the feathery poultry kind of chick but a big hoppy one, and now is your chance to catch it.

This Thursday, February 6, marks the eighth annual release of HenHouse Brewing Company’s Big Chicken double IPA and, as we speak, Bay Area beer enthusiasts are getting ready to seek out the rare bird.

[Want to taste another coveted Sonoma County brew? Check out our guide to the 2020 Pliny the Younger release, coming up this Friday.]

Like Russian River Brewing Company’s Pliny the Younger, Big Chicken is a limited- and controlled-release beer. Unlike Younger, which is available during a two-week period each February, Big Chicken is only available one to three days per year. The beer’s unusually high hop content (twelve pounds per barrel) makes it a fragile brew that perishes fast — this is the reason it is brewed, kegged and tapped in a single day.

“Big Chicken is the extreme of our focus on freshness,” said HenHouse Brewing Company’s president Scott Goyne, “beer is a far more perishable product than most folks realize – hop flavor and aroma degrade fast — so it’s important to drink hoppy beer in its short window of freshness.”

HenHouse Brewing’s Big Chicken double IPA is released on Thursday, Feb 6. (Courtesy photos)

The coveted brew usually runs out within two days, which leaves only a small window to get a taste. Its limited availability only adds to its allure, as is the case with Pliny the Younger, a publicity stunt both Russian River Brewing Company and HenHouse Brewing Company have leveraged to their advantage.

This year, Big Chicken will be available at HenHouse’s Santa Rosa and Petaluma taprooms, Feb. 6 – Feb. 8. Both tasting rooms will be open 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday. (There is a two four-pack per person, per day allotment, as well as two 14-ounce pours per person, per day). 

Big Chicken will also be available in the following locations: 

Locations with Big Chicken on Tap

Alameda

Lucky 13

Straw Hat Pizza

Alamo

Ej phair Alamo

Extreme Pizza Alamo

Albany

Albany Taproom

Berkeley

Bobby G’s Pizzeria

Cask on College

Cornerstone

Tupper & Reed

Benecia

Sailor Jack’s

Brentwood

Brentwood Emporium

Hop Asylum

Brentwood Craft aka Sand Creek

Concord

BJs Concord

Concord Taphouse

Eureka! Concord

The Hop Grenade

Cotati

Flagship Taproom

Danville

Pete’s Brass Rail

The Growler

Dublin

Caps and Taps

Three Sheets

El Cerrito

The Little Hill Lounge

Emeryville

Prizefighter

Fairfax

Split Rock Tap and Wheel

Healdsburg

Coyote Sonoma

Elephant in the Room

Healdsburg Bar & Grill

Kenwood

Salt & Stone

Lincoln

Infusion

Livermore

Beach Hut Deli

First Street Alehouse

Hops and Sessions

Sauced BBQ Livermore

Tap 25

Hop Devine

Martinez

Slow Hand BBQ Martinez

Mill Valley

Proof Lab

Napa

Napa Palisades Saloon

Squeeze Burger Napa

Hop Creek Pub

Novato

Hopmonk Novato

Extreme Pizza

Beer Craft

Oakland

Beer Revolution

Ben N’ Nicks

Brotzeit Lokal

Cato’s Ale House

Degrees Plato

Magpie

Paulista

Philomena

Portal

Rosamunde Oakland

The Good Hop

Tiger’s Taproom

The Trappist

Occidental

Barley & Hops

Union Hotel Occidental

Orinda 

Fourth Bore

Petaluma

Twin Oaks

Brewsters Beer Garden

McNear’s

Ray’s Deli and Tavern

Roaring Donkey

Seared Grill- Petaluma

Buffalo Billiards

Speakeasy

Taps Petaluma

Hank’s Petaluma

The Block

Pleasant Hill

Jack’s Taps

Slow Hand BBQ Pleasant Hill

Pleasanton

Lokanta Pleasanton

Oyo

Bottle Taps

Mckay’s

Porky’s Pizza Palace

Rohnert Park

Beer Craft

Roseville

Final Gravity

Bar 101

Sacramento

Hop Gardens

Cap Hop Shop

San Anselmo

Creekside Pizza

San Francisco

Flying Pig

Giordano Bros.

Alembic

Barrelhead Brew House

Beer Hall

Beer Nerds

Church Key

For Point Valencia

City Beer Store

Crafty Fox

Dark Horse Inn

Devil’s Slide Taproom

Emporium

Fermentation Lab

Fly Bar

Chruchill

Foghorn Taproom

The Showdown

Bloodhound

Hops & Hominy

Hopwater Distribution

Liquid Gold

MIkkeller Bar

Monaghan’s

Monk’s Kettle

Ocean Ale House

Old Devil Moon

Richmond Republic Draught House

Rosamunde Mission

Rusty’s Southern

Sessions

Sea Star

The Ave

The Brew Coop

The Page

Toronado

Zeitgeist

Chomp N Swig

Hardwood Bar & Smokery

Public House

Local Tap

Holy Water

San Leandro

Porky’s Pizza Palace

Son’s of Liberty

The Cooler

San Rafael

Flat Iron

Libation Taproom

Pint Size Lounge

Tam Commons

Santa Rosa

Belly

Brew

Epicenter

Everybody’s Tappin

Juncture Taproom

La Rosa

Local Barrel

Mayacama Golf Club

Mission Kitchen Bar

Ricardo’s Bar and Grill

Rincon Valley Tap Room

Santa Rosa Golf & Country Club

Steele & Hops

Toad in the Hole

Trail House

Westside Grill

Whiskey Tip

Whole Foods Coddingtown

Wilibees SR

Sebastopol

Hopmonk Sebastopol

Ramen Gaijin

Community Market

Sonoma

Hopmonk

Tiburon

SF Yacht Club

Tracy

Delta Brews

Walnut Creek 

Extreme Pizza

Hops & Scotch

Ol Beer Cafe

Rotator Taproom

Sauced BBQ

Windsor

Barley & Bine

Mountain Mikes

Super Burger

Olivers Tavern

Locations with Big Chicken in Cans 

Brentwood

Brentwood Emporium

Hop Asylum

Calistoga

Cal Mart

Concord

Hop Grenade

Cotati

Flagship Taproom

Olivers Market

Dublin

Caps & Taps

Three Sheets

Healdsburg

Big Johns

Shelton’s

Tip Top Liquors

Mill Valley

Mill Valley Market

Novato

BeerCraft

Harvest Market

Oakland

Degrees

Good Hop

Petaluma

Penngrove Market

Charley’s Liquor

Petaluma Market

Steel Bear

Wilibees

Rohnert Park

BeerCraft

Roseville

Final Gravity

Sacramento

Hop Garden

San Anselmo

Ludwig’s

San Francisco

City Beer

Liquid Gold

San Rafael

Libations

Marin Bev

Santa Venetia

Santa Rosa

Bevmo Santa Rosa Ave

Bottle Barn

Juncture

Local Barrel

Molsberry Market

Olivers- Motecito

Olivers- Stony Point

Pacific Market

Rincon Valley Wine & Craft

Trailhouse

Whole Foods- Coddingtown

Willibees Santa Rosa

Sausalito

Driver Market

Sebastopol

Andy’s Produce

Community Market

Fiesta Market

Fircrest Market

Olivers- Windsor

Pohley’s

Walnut Creek

Ol Beer Cafe

Rotator Taproom

The post Where to Find HenHouse’s Big Chicken IPA in Sonoma County appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

‘Tis the season to stock up on holiday treats! If you’re looking to shop local for a foodie family member or friend, we’ve got you covered with perfect presents. Click through the above gallery for 10 ideas, featuring products made in Sonoma County. Additional bonus: You can snatch up most of these for less than $25. And, don’t worry…if you happen to buy one of these for yourself, we won’t tell!

The post Made in Sonoma: Last Minute Stocking Stuffers for Foodies appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

What happens when a winemaker and a brewer walk into a bar? Well, here in Sonoma County, they come up with a plan to add hops to wine, and use wine barrels to make beer.

Sonoma County-based Murphy-Goode Winery and St. Florian’s Brewery recently unveiled a unique partnership, which has been more than a year in the making. Inspired by the deep agricultural roots of grape growing and hop cultivation in their home region of Sonoma County, winemaker David Ready Jr. and brewmaster Aron Levin have crafted a limited beer and wine duo consisting of a dry-hopped Sauvignon Blanc and a barrel-aged lager.

“Hops and grapes have coexisted in Sonoma County since the 1850s. It seems winemakers have always been big fans of beer, and vice versa, so we thought it would be really unique to combine those two areas of craftsmanship,” said Ready.

Murphy-Goode’s Dry-Hopped Sauvignon Blanc – a light, crisp wine with tropical fruit notes – features Citra hops, which add a new dimension to the wine as well as additional nuances of citrus aromas and fruit flavors. In a similar vein, St. Florian’s has brewed a light, crisp lager (also infused with Citra hops) that has aged just long enough in Murphy-Goode’s Sauvignon Blanc barrels to balance the oak and lingering, fresh, juicy fruit flavors with the Citra bite. 

“Dave and I both agreed that using Sauvignon Blanc as the base of the project made sense, since there are similar flavor profiles between the wine and Citra hops, which I love to use in my beer,” said Levin. “When we hit on the idea of aging a Citra-hopped lager in wine barrels, and then again implementing Citra hops by dry-hopping a wine, we thought it would work well.”

The end result of the collaboration is a wine and beer duo that can appeal to both beer and wine fans. The Murphy-Goode Dry-Hopped Sauvignon Blanc and St. Florian’s Brewery Barrel-Aged Lager is available for a limited time at select Bay Area retailers, including Penngrove Market, Molsberry Market in Santa Rosa, and Oliver’s Market in Windsor, Santa Rosa, and Cotati. A celebration where guests can try the beer and the wine will be held at the Oliver’s Market taproom in Windsor on September 28th, 2018 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

If you are visiting Sonoma County with both beer and wine lovers, make sure to check out these 5 Sonoma Breweries Wine Lovers Should Visit.

The post Beer-Infused Wine and Wine-Infused Beer, It’s Coming to Sonoma County appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

by Michael Barnes

Whether you call them your buds, your posse, your bromosapiens or just “the guys”, every dude needs a little down time with the testosterone tribe. And while your man cave in the garage is cool and all, sometimes it’s nice to drink beer, talk sports and get your man-tastic voyage on without dogs, babies and your wife interrupting.

With that in mind, we present a handful of spots where wiping the foam off your beard with your sleeve is completely acceptable, television trumps real conversation and burgers, pizza and hot dogs are always on the menu.*

*We of course realize that this is a ridiculous generalization of the complexity of male bonding, and many women also enjoy drinking beer and watching sports, but sweeping statements are far more hilarious.

The post The Best Bro Bars in Sonoma appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

For the past two weeks, Santa Rosa streets have been lined with Pliny pilgrims eagerly awaiting a sip on Russian River’s most coveted brew. While this February frenzy has become a cherished annual event for many, standing in line for five plus hours is not for everyone. If you lack the patience necessary to taste Pliny the Younger or didn’t get a chance to try the famous beer this year, we have picked out five Sonoma County brews you may not have heard (as much) about but that are just as good and definitely worth seeking out. Click through the gallery above for all the details.

The post Missed Pliny? Here Are 5 Sonoma County Beers That Are Just as Good (Or Better) appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

It’s something Natalie and Vinnie Cilurzo swore they’d never do: let privileged hop heads jump to the front of the line that stretches around the block for the world famous February release of Pliny the Younger at their Russian River Brewing Company.

“But that all changed after the fires,” says Natalie “If ever there was a time, it was now. Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

So less than a week after the October fire storm ravaged Sonoma and Napa counties, the Cilurzos began actively encouraging line cutters, selling $25 raffle tickets for the right to jump to the front of the line each of the 14 days (February 2-15) of the coveted triple IPA release.

Drawing loyal fans from around the country, the high-alcohol (around 10 percent) and super-hoppy (think triple the hops) ale took on a mythic quality when the Beer Advocate website ranked it No. 1 in the world in 2010. Crowds have lined the street ever since, and Santa Rosa hotels now sell special Pliny vacation packages for beer aficionados making the trip to beer mecca for the annual tasting, now in its 14th year.

Chalk it up to compassion for the fire victims and that ardent Pliny following: The Cilurzos raised nearly $250,000 for displaced fire victims in less than a month. Teaming up with bicyclist Levi Leipheimer’s King Ridge Foundation, the couple spun their existing Sonoma Pride beer series, which they’d launched two years ago, into a Sonoma Pride fire relief fundraising collective.

“We were lucky, our house was OK, but we kept hearing from friends who lost everything, and we had three employees who lost their homes,” Natalie says. “So we thought, what can we do to help? Being business owners, we knew the thing people are going to need most in the long run is money.”

The next step was to craft a special Sonoma Pride brew, with all proceeds from its sale going to victims. Vinnie Cilurzo contacted his suppliers, who donated the entire cost of goods — malt, hops, labels, glass bottles, bottle caps, you name it. When word got out, others in the craft beer community jumped on board, eager to cook up their own batch of benefit brew.

“It wasn’t just a few, it felt like hundreds of breweries from around the world,” says Natalie. “We ended up having to limit it to 50 breweries just to keep it manageable.”

Enlisted breweries spanned as far as Beavertown in London and Cigar City in Florida, and as close to home as Bear Republic of Healdsburg; St. Florian’s of Windsor; Cooperage, Fogbelt, HenHouse, Moonlight, Plow and Seismic of Santa Rosa; Sonoma Springs of Sonoma; Crooked Goat of Sebastopol; and 101 North of Petaluma. Big corporate breweries like Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas, Boston Beer Company and St. Archer also joined in.

“We have friends at St. Archer, and even though they’re now owned by Miller, we certainly weren’t going to turn them down for wanting to help out,” says Natalie. “If you want to help our community, we’ll take it where we can get it. There are no lines in the sand right now.”

For Russian River’s first batch of Sonoma Pride, Vinnie brewed 100 barrels of a hoppy blond ale that clocked in at 4.5 percent alcohol. It’s similar in character to Russian River’s year-round roster beer Aud Blonde, “but a lot hoppier.” Adds Natalie, “We wanted to make something that was more crowd pleasing, that everyone could enjoy.”

One of the first local brewers the Cilurzos contacted was longtime volunteer firefighter Richard Norgrove Jr., owner of the Bear Republic in Healdsburg.

First they wanted to make sure he was safe, with fires quickly encroaching on the ridge overlooking his Cloverdale production facility. Norgrove and his wife and the Cilurzos had just hung out together, sharing an airport shuttle on the way back from the Great American Beer Festival in Denver the night the first fire screamed down the hill from Calistoga to Santa Rosa.

“I was talking with Vinnie and Natalie, and we decided let’s not make something that’s super ‘high test’ and high alcohol,” Norgrove says. “Let’s focus on something that might be approachable to all folks.”

It’s no accident the Bear’s Sonoma Pride offering is called “Hoppy Blonde Ale.” Norgrove had some input on the hops, but really it was a project for Bear Republic’s head brewer Rob Kent, who lost his Fountaingrove home in the Tubbs fire. Kent formulated the recipe, and Norgrove worked with suppliers who donated all the ingredients.

“It was like, ‘Hey Rob, we gotta get you back on the horse and thinking about other stuff,’” Norgrove says.

There was another local brewery down the road that needed help to keep beer running through the tanks and to fill orders during the crisis. At St. Florian’s, where the patron saint of firefighters watches over an independent brewery that has always donated at least 5 percent of its profits to fire-related causes, owner Aron Levin had left his barrels behind to fight fires on the front lines. As a Windsor fire captain, he started the first Sunday night, banging on doors to alert evacuees in Larkfield, and didn’t take a break until the following Friday.

Aron’s wife, Amy, was left to run the brewery, stuck with beer in tanks and a big order to fill. As a fellow firefighter with a strong sense of the challenges the Levins were facing, Norgrove asked, “What can we do to help?”

A Bear Republic rescue crew drove down to St. Florian’s to empty tanks and bottle and package beers for orders. And when Aron returned on Friday, Norgrove and Kent proposed something they’d been talking about for years — a special brew made by firefighters to benefit firefighters.

“Firefighters are a really, really close-knit group of people,” says Norgrove. “So for me to actually brew with Aron and let him unload about his experiences out on the fires as we’re brewing together was really special.”

They’re calling the new beer Mutual Aid — an after-hours collaboration between St. Florian’s and Bear Republic. Brewed in a small batch of 20 barrels at 6.5 percent alcohol, Mutual Aid is a “shoot from the hip” hoppy pale ale. It’s made with donated malt from Admiral Maltings out of Alameda and what Norgrove likes to call “cool-kid hops” —Mosaic, Azacca and Citra — adding floral notes that Levin as a smaller brewer doesn’t often get a chance to use in his beers.

“It was definitely like being a kid in a candy store,” Levin said.

Funds raised from Mutual Aid are going specifically to first responders who lost their homes, says Norgrove, who is also teaming up with fellow Cardinal Newman High School alum and basketball teammate Joel Johnson, brewmaster at 101 North Brewing Company in Petaluma, for a beer that will help rebuild their alma mater.

By early November, long after the fires were extinguished and Sonoma Pride was filling pints, growlers and shelf space at grocery stores, yet another job remained.

It was by design that Natalie and Vinnie Cilurzo had made the Pliny raffle winning tickets “totally transferrable.” But they were still surprised when the winner of the February 12 line-cutting privileges asked if he could donate his two tickets to a first responder who was out fighting fires while his own house burned down. His girlfriend’s house and ex-wife’s house were also destroyed.

“I just felt that someone more deserving of it should get to skip the line,” said Matt Merner, a 32-year-old network engineer at sonic.net who bought two raffle tickets. A Cardinal Newman grad as well, Merner had been scheduled to speak at his former school two days after the Tubbs fire leveled half the campus. “There were so many first responders who put their lives on the line and worked for many days straight to help save our community — I just thought they could use it more than me.”

A serious beer connoisseur with more than 100 bottles in his cellar, Merner has been to at least eight Pliny the Younger releases over the years.

“We’d hoped that somebody would be moved enough to donate their line-cutting privileges,” says Natalie Cilurzo. “And of course it turned out to be the local guy — there was only one local winner. They understand because they live here, and they know.”

PLINY THE YOUNGER RELEASE, February 2-15

Even though Pliny the Younger was first tapped in 2005, mobs didn’t start crashing the party until 2010 when Beer Advocate ratings crowned it the No. 1 beer in the world. That same year, Russian River Brewing Co. owners Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo were totally blindsided and sold out in hours.

By now, they have the hoppy two-week procession down to a science.

Here are the rules (or regula, in Pliny’s Latin):

Pub capacity is 135 people.

Once you’ve braved the lines, you can hang in the pub for no more than three hours with a max of three 10-ounce pours per person.

Pliny is never bottled or sold in growlers.

No drinking or smoking while in line No tents allowed, but chairs, umbrellas and rain gear (it’s been known to rain in February) are encouraged.

No cuts (unless you’re one of the 14 daily line-cutting raffle winners!)

SONOMA PRIDE: Drink for Relief

While supplies last, Sonoma Pride beers are available on tap and in growlers at Russian River Brewing Company (725 Fourth St., Santa Rosa), Bear Republic Brewing Company (345 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg and 5000 Roberts Lake Road, Rohnert Park), St. Florian’s (7704 Bell Road, Windsor) and many more local breweries.

The benefit brews are also available in bottles at Bay Area grocery stores like Oliver’s, Whole Foods and Safeway. All proceeds go to fire relief victims through Sonoma Pride and the King Ridge Foundation. Check out sonomapride.com for a list of all participating breweries.

The post Pride on Tap: Russian River Brewing Company Close to Raising $900,000 for Wildfire Victims appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.