Power outage almost axed Pliny the Younger's 20th anniversary Triple IPA release, Russian River Brewing says
Every bottle that makes its way down the conveyor belt at the Russian River Brewing Company's Windsor location, stamped with a brand-new blue label, will tell the story of Pliny the Younger.
And this year's triple IPA brew has quite the story, which is why company co-owner and president Natalie Cilurzo smiled as she watched the bottling process unfold.
"This is a big moment, a big milestone," said Cilurzo.
Her team at RRBC spends a ton of time preparing for the two-week, exclusive release of this year's brew, and there was a moment in January when disaster almost struck.
"We did have a power outage during January during the storms, during the windstorms," she said.
The power outage lasted for several days, and Cilurzo said their ability to get a generator saved the day.
"We had just packaged our Pliny the Younger for distribution. We had a warehouse cold box full of draft Pliny the Younger. We were definitely stressing out about that," she said. "Had we not been able to get that generator, we could have lost some Younger."
That would have been a big disappointment for Pliny enthusiasts and the brewery's bottom line. Russian River's Assistant General Manager Alec Miller said people make sure about getting their hands and taste buds on the limited run.
"A lot of times, I'll be closing the night before and it'll be 10 p.m. and there are already people in line waiting to camp out," he said. "I've had people from India before, people from Australia, New Zealand."
Over the two-week period, he says they expect to see anywhere from 12,000-14,000 people, or about half the population of the entire town of Windsor.
This year's release marks the 20th anniversary of the creation of Pliny the Younger. The label shows Mount Vesuvius eruption hops and bottles over the Russian River Brewing Company, which is a nod to the Roman history behind the character whose namesake the beer comes from.
"He was a well-respected author," Cilurzo said.
What started as a creative way to drum up some much-needed business 20 years ago has turned into an integral part of the Russian River Brewing Company's story, one Cilurzo is quite proud of and that seems to be able to weather whatever comes its way.
"It's a really big year for us, and the beer tastes amazing, so I'm really happy about that," she said.
A pair of Pliny super fans have got their routine for being first in line to sample the beer down to a science.
Lindsey Wardell and Donovan Dorr won't say exactly when they started lining up on Thursday. That's because they don't want anyone trying to beat them for the honor to be the first ones to sit down and sip this year's brew.
Wardell and Dorr have made this their yearly tradition.
"I've been first in line for I can't remember how long now," said Wardell.
Year after year, these two bring their folding chairs and wait hours, even in rainy weather.
"At some point I decided to be the first in line," Wardell said. "I just do that. It's a stupid thing. You have to do one stupid thing on purpose I figure, so this maybe that."
While it's Wardell and Dorr this year, in the past, it used to be the 3 musketeers.
"Three years ago Manny was with us and he passed away," Dorr said. "So this is a Manny memorial."
While these two continue to grieve the loss of a friend, they have been through a lot individually. Wardell lost his house in the Tubbs Fire, was diagnosed with cancer during COVID and continues to battle health issues.
"I just did back surgery 6 months ago and had a hernia operation last Tuesday so you have to have stuff this," Wardell said. "A little sugar with whatever that other stuff is."
That sugar is what these two consider liquid gold on tap.
"To me it's the best beer in the world," Dorr said.
When the temperatures dip overnight, it makes staying in their chairs a bit of a challenge.
"At around 3 o'clock in the morning, you don't want to get out of your sleeping bag," Wardell said. "That's pretty much for sure."
The waiting is only part of the story. It's the bond that develops over a shared experience knowing nothing in life lasts forever.
"Life is short, so do something you enjoy," Wardell said.
Andrea Nakano contributed to this story.