BierTalk English 42 - Interview with Vinnie Cilurzo, Co-Founder of Russian River Brewing Company, Windsor, California

Welcome back to BierTalk — this time we’re heading to Sonoma County, California, to talk with Vinnie Cilurzo, co-owner of Russian River Brewing Company. We dive into what makes Russian River beers so famously crisp and consistent: an uncompromising focus on freshness — cold chain, low oxygen, tight distribution, and quality control all the way to the shelf. Vinnie also opens the brewhouse door and shares the thinking behind his hopping approach, recipe evolution (yes, even Pliny the Elder), and why staying relevant means never stopping the work. And because it’s Russian River, we also touch wild beer, the story of the “Vinnie Nail,” the fonio collaboration with Garrett Oliver, and their latest sustainability step: CO₂ recovery. Grab a beer — and enjoy the conversation...