The Brewers Association has declared that the United States has crossed the 3,000-brewery count mark as of last month. It is believed that the count was well over 3,000 at some point in the 1800s, but this is by far the most amount of breweries to be operating at one [...]
The Ready, Set, Growl Beer Festival presented by Whole Foods Tap Room will take place in Juilliard Park in Santa Rosa on Sunday, August 24 between 11am and 3pm. The beer festival will be in conjunction with the Santa Rosa Marathon. Last year the marathon had 4,000 participants and another few thousand [...]
World Cup fever has taken over most of the world. The U.S. men’s soccer team will be playing in arguably the most important match in team history when they square off against Belgium today at 1pm. With all due respect to Germany who is still in the tournament the matchup [...]
What a month it has been for Russian River Brewing Co! Zymurgy readers have voted Pliny the Elder their #1 beer for the 6th time in a row. The brewery was also named the #1 brewery commercially available in the United States by the same voters. Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo [...]
A countless number of times we have heard Sonoma County referred to as ‘Wine Country’. I would be preaching to the choir if I told you that this part of the world is also making some of the best beer. Now that we have that established, it’s time to open [...]
There are an abundance of breweries opening up throughout Northern California. The majority of them are producing good quality brews. There are however a handful of recently opened breweries that are producing exceptional brews. Cellarmaker Brewing Company in San Francisco is a great example of that. Established just one year [...]
The 2014 Russian River Beer Revival tickets will officially go on sale today Friday, June 13 at 1pm. You may purchase tickets online at http://www.stumptown.com/revival/ or at Stumptown brewery. This will be the 12th annual festival being held at Stumptown Brewery which is located at 15045 River Rd. in Guerneville. The [...]
Brew Dogs is a show going into its second season on the Esquire Network. The show follows James Watt and Martin Dickie who are the co-owners of the UK’s fastest growing brewery, named BrewDog of course. The second season begins on June 25. Filming is currently under way. James and [...]
Lagunitas Beer Circus attendees (Photo by Peter Lopez) I must say that I have never been disappointed when attending a Lagunitas beer event. Once again they topped themselves with, in my opinion, the best Beer Circus yet. The beer was as good as expected. Besides special limited release [...]
Sierra Nevada has been working on a very special project. In mid-July they will release a ‘Beer Camp Across America’ twelve pack collaboration like no other. Sierra Nevada and the head brewers from twelve exceptional breweries across the country came together to each brew one of the beers for the [...]
This upcoming weekend will be quite eventful for beer lovers holding the two hottest tickets in the county. First, Beerfest will take place at the Wells Fargo Center in Santa Rosa on Saturday, June 7. Sonoma County food purveyors will join 60+ breweries coming together to raise money for Face [...]
Jack Joyce, co-founder of Rogue Ales passed away on Tuesday at the age of 71. Jack and partners launched Rogue in 1988 and became leaders in one of the most influential beer regions (Oregon) in the country. Brett Joyce, Rogue president and Jack’s son released the following message to the [...]
Once considered an endangered species of beer styles, saison ales are quite popular as of late. Saisons were originally brewed in farm houses around Belgium by households for their own personal consumption and to be shared with their workers. These beers were brewed in the months before summer to be [...]
With summer just around the corner I wanted to point out a few beer date ideas that you and your beer loving mate should consider over the summer.
The NorCal Beer Geeks is a Facebook group of beer enthusiasts that come together to share about limited release beers, events and beer news. Bottle shares, blind tastings and beer and food pairings are common amongst this group. Official events are held at a place and time disclosed only to [...]
A resident of Santa Rosa for most of his life, Peter Lopez Jr., 34, has taken over the duties of beer blogger for the Press Democrat. He has been a part of the beer and wine industry for almost his entire adult life and brings a wealth of knowledge. Currently Peter is a partner at the Healdsburg Emporium where he does the beer and wine purchasing. He is also the wine 
buyer at Fircrest Market in Sebastopol and the administrator of the NorCal Beer Geeks group on Facebook.
Beer is a big business in this part of the world, with some of the best and most sought-after brews made right in our own back yard. But too often that beer culture is hidden behind the iconic wine industry that defines the region. The Beer Country blog will bring you news and notes about our local brew scene, and maybe a little about cider while we’re at it. Have news, ideas, or questions that need answering? Drop a line in the comments section of the blog or email us at info@pressdemocrat.com