The Rising Craft Beer Capital Of California Edging Out San Diego Has Cool Taprooms And Buzzy Festivals
With over 150 breweries, coastal cool San Diego may consider itself the "Capital of Craft," but that title may soon be at stake if a Golden State rival in Sonoma County has any say. Santa Rosa already has a reputation for libations — it's a major wine hub, set on the eastern side of the Russian River Valley AVA. The high concentration of knowledgeable wine experts and prestigious vintners, such as Kendall-Jackson, Iron Horse, and DeLoach, naturally makes it an incubating ground for the related practices of brewing and beer culture. In fact, some of its most tried-and-true ales have become cult favorites nationwide.
In the 2024 edition of the USA Today 10 Best readers' choice awards, Santa Rosa beat out San Diego for a place in the top ten of Best Brew Cities in the U.S., claiming it's "where wine country meets beer city." Local award-winning breweries cover styles like the West Coast IPA (WEIPA), Belgian dobbels, tripels, and saisons, and barrel-aged brews. Ales are poured in industrial-chic taprooms boasting blackboards chalked full of punny beer names and sipped in sunny beer gardens, beaming with laidback NorCal swagger.
Plus, the city's calendar includes beer-centric events from February to August, including FeBREWary, the Beer City Festival and Half Marathon, and Battle of the Brews. And none is more exclusive than the annual two-week release of Pliny the Younger when Russian River Brewing distributes its popular limited Triple IPA, drawing fans to Santa Rosa from even beyond the U.S borders.
Santa Rosa's most beloved beers and where to drink them
Named for Sonoma County's breathtaking river valley that boasts bold wines and serene river picnic spots, the Russian River Brewing Company has led the charge in Santa Rosa's craft brew scene since 1997. Originally funded by Guerneville's Korbel Champagne Cellars, master brewer Vinnie Cilurzo branched out on his own in 2003 and today owns two brewpubs in downtown Santa Rosa and Windsor. Upon introducing his super hoppy, Belgian-inspired Pliny the Elder Double IPA in 1999, he struck liquid gold, earning the title of Small Brewing Company Brewmaster of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. To this day, the brewery's ultra-rare Pliny the Younger release each February inspires fans to line up outside the pubs' doors for blocks.
Also in Windsor, CUVER Belgian Brewers specializes in all your favorite styles from the old country, headed by a fourth-generation brewer from Ghent. Here you'll find sessionable saisons, dark dobbels, rich tripels, thirst-quenching Bohemian pilsners, and a big-bodied Belgian take on the IPA. On the other side of the spectrum, Moonlight Brewing Company represents easy-drinking pre-industrial Continental and British tastes with a catalogue of low-ABV pilsners and lagers. All their kettle-brewed beers are low in gluten, too, thanks to a unique enzymatic process developed in-house, meaning they go down that much smoother.
Both HenHouse Brewing Company and Cooperage Brewing Company are home to eclectic and experimental beers in their funky, warehouse-size taprooms. Live music, trivia nights, and a rotating schedule of food trucks out front have helped each build a strong local following. Old Caz Brewery, which started as a homebrew project run almost entirely on equipment sourced from the "free" section of Craigslist, has today evolved into a slick brewpub with a tight but refreshing tap selection.
Beer City Festival and other can't-miss events
Santa Rosa loves a good beer celebration, and a few good ones throughout the year, mixed with approachably mild weather no matter the season, means it's always an alright time to stop in town for a drink. The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) network between San Francisco and Santa Rosa makes it easy to access "Beer City" from the Bay Area — the ride to downtown Santa Rosa from Marin County's San Rafael takes just under one hour. Throughout the year, you can explore all the best breweries in town using a Santa Rosa Beer Passport, which can help you earn a snazzy medal that doubles as a bottle opener once you rack up enough points, anytime after the annual FeBREWary celebration.
The Beer City Festival and Half Marathon, also in February, offers another great way to experience Santa Rosa's beer culture during a full day of racing and rehydration. Start the day with a half-marathon, 10k, or 5k race paired with complimentary kombucha, cider, or beer, then it's off to Moonlight Brewing for a beer-themed treasure hunt and brewery tours on the Santa Rosa beer trolley.
Battle of the Brews, held in April, claims to be "the biggest beer event Sonoma County has ever seen." Held at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in April, the event includes tastings for attendees to the Commercial Beer Competition and Craft Cup Best in Show, along with free food tastings and live music.