CLICK HERE if you are having trouble viewing these photos on a mobile device
The eagerly-awaited new Russian River Brewing Co. production brewery and brewpub opened its doors today in Windsor. The 85,000-square-foot building houses a 75-bbl state-of-the-art brewhouse, a tank farm, barrel room and coolship, a type of fermentation vessel. Eventually, they’ll offer both a guided tour and a free self-guided tour that will give visitors a behind-the-scenes view of the brewery’s operations.
(Photo above courtesy of Natalie Cilurzo; other photos courtesy Jay Brooks)
The restaurant and brewpub, which owners Natalie and Vinnie Cilurzo refer to simply as The Pub, have a warm, rustic feel, with seating for nearly 190 guests. You’ll also find a large gift shop, in addition to a separate tasting room and future tour lobby. Growler fills will be available in three locations.
I visited the brewery in the days leading up to the opening. Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect to see inside, with more in the slideshow above.
A large circular fireplace and comfy chairs make a great spot to sit with a beer and wait for your table, or just sit and converse with friends.
Of course, you can just sit at the bar, too, or in one of several dining areas. The menu here differs from the Santa Rosa brewpub — there’s no pizza, for one thing. But the Windsor menu offers a tasty selection of salads, snacks and entrees, including delicious burgers topped with malted bacon and cheddar fondue.
Guests can sample beer at a second bar in an adjacent dining area. In summer, this space will open up to the outside with views overlooking several acres of wetlands.
The first beer brewed at the new place was Windsor Porter, a variation on Vinnie’s award-winning porter. Fun fact: Russian River’s very first medal at the Great American Beer Festival was for that porter. It was also the first beer he brewed at the original brewery at Korbel, and the first when he opened the Santa Rosa brewpub in 2004. It’s on tap now in Windsor, along with the first batch of Pliny the Elder, with many more to follow. (You can pick up bottles of the Windsor Porter — labeled “Batch 1” — in the gift shop.)
Natalie and Vinnie Cilurzo’s new brewhouse is 75-bbls, a little larger than their previous one, which was 50-bbls.
But the new brewhouse is a cathedral of beer. To get an idea of the scale, look for Natalie and Vinnie Cilurzo, who are looking down from the top of the spiral staircase in the photo above.
The new Russian River Windsor is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and until 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at 700 Mitchell Lane, Windsor; https://russianriverbrewing.com/windsor-location/.
