The brewery’s famous Triple IPA is a cult favorite, available for just two weeks each year. Here’s the backstory, from Ancient Rome to the modern day.
The 2017 release of Russian River Brewing’s Pliny the Younger, a triple IPA with a cult following, filled the Santa Rosa brewpub to capacity. Russian River Brewing’s cult fave, Pliny the Younger, is celebrating its 20th anniversary, a landmark for a triple IPA that makes an appearance for just two weeks at the brewery each year.
You’ll see nods to the past on the Russian River beer list, which includes a Blind Pig IPA and the famous double IPA, rechristened as Pliny the Elder. It’s named after the early Roman Empire military commander, naturalist and author whose most famous work, “Naturalis Historia” or “Natural History,” refers to what many believe was hops —Pliny died trying to save a friend during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E.
The triple IPA was released in 2005 with little fanfare, but it sold well, and Russian River continued to release a limited batch each February, brewing enough — or so they thought — to last until the brewery’s anniversary in April. That changed very dramatically in 2010 when hundreds of people suddenly descended on the brewpub, lining up before the Cilurzos had even opened the doors and ordering pints and growlers in quick succession.
This year’s Pliny the Younger release will run from March 22 through April 4, a day after the official anniversary. Find details atBay Area Beer: Sunny, chilly weather calls for a different style of lager