Sonoma County may be best known for its local wine offerings, but the wine is just one part of the county’s extensive craft beverage scene. Here’s what you should consider when planning your next beer- and cider-focused excursion to this North Bay county.
THE BREWERIES
For a county of its size, Sonoma County has a surprising number of unique breweries.
In the northern town of Windsor is the most famous: Russian River Brewing. It’s been voted one of the top breweries in the country and is best known for its Pliny the Elder. But there’s also the Belgian-influenced Cuver Brewing and Barrel Brothers.
Santa Rosa, meanwhile, has the most breweries, including Cooperage and its new downtown location, plus Fogbelt, HenHouse, Iron Ox, Moonlight, Old Possum, Russian River’s original brewpub and Shady Oak Barrel House.
Rohnert Park boasts Old Caz, Parliament and the Waterhawk Lake Club, while in Sebastopol at The Barlow, you’ll find Crooked Goat, Seismic Brewing and the original HopMonk Tavern.
In Petaluma, Lagunitas is the largest brewery, but there’s also HenHouse’s Palace of Barrels and Crooked Goat’s downtown location. For multi-taps, try The Block, Brewster’s Beer Garden or Taps.
Farthest north is Cloverdale’s Wolf House, while farthest west you’ll find Stumptown in Guerneville. Meanwhile, to the east is Sonoma, with Sonoma Springs and another HopMonk Tavern.
THE CIDERMAKERS: FROM ORCHARD TO GLASS
Apples have also been an integral part of Sonoma County since the 19th century, when they were introduced by early settlers. By the 1940s, almost 40,000 acres and large-scale apple production circled Sebastopol.
While most orchards have been replaced by vineyards, over 2,000 acres of 150 different heirloom apples remain, including the Gravenstein, which has been a major crop since 1811, when it was first planted at Fort Ross.
Sonoma’s apple legacy today is being preserved by numerous cidermakers using local varieties to create a wide range of hard ciders.
Ace Cider is the oldest, founded in 1993. The national brand offers crowd-pleasingly sweet hard ciders and unique seasonals, like a fall pumpkin cider.
Taking full advantage of Sonoma’s apple legacy, Tilted Shed Ciderworks in Windsor creates incredibly diverse ciders using over 120 varieties of apples from its own orchards, along with local partners.
One former apple processing plant in Sebastopol is today known as The Barlow, reborn as a complex of shops and restaurants. It’s home to Golden State Cider, where you can enjoy tasting flights, cans and growlers of at least 10 seasonal ciders in its taproom.
Other cidermakers in Sebastopol include the Dutton Estate, Ethic Ciders, Eye Cider and Horse & Plow.
And while most cideries are in the Sebastopol area, a few are located throughout the county, including Goat Rock Cider in Petaluma, Preston Farm in Healdsburg and the Old World Winery in Fulton, which makes the wild-fermented Trowbridge Cider.
Q&A with Russian River and Old Caz
I recently interviewed the owners behind Sonoma County breweries: Russian River Brewing, which is quite well-established, and Old Caz Brewing, a newer brewery, to learn more about brewing specifically in Sonoma County.
Russian River is owned by Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo, who opened their original downtown Santa Rosa brewpub in 2004, then added a larger production brewery in Windsor in 2018.
Old Caz was founded by Sonoma State University graduates Tom Edwards and Bryan Rengel, who first brewed in 2018, then opened their taproom the following year with longtime general manager Rob Saccuzzo. In 2024, they moved the taproom to larger quarters in Rohnert Park’s SOMO Village.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
What led you to open your brewery in Sonoma County?
Tom: Bryan and I started homebrewing at SSU and continued through college, often talking about opening our own brewery. Afterwards, I worked at nearby Bear Republic while Bryan traveled the country as an underwater welder. After a few years, I was ready and reached out to Bryan, who was looking for a new opportunity.
Natalie: I had just graduated from SSU, and was working in the wine industry when Korbel decided to close the Russian River brewery. We leapt at the chance to keep the Russian River name that Vinnie worked so hard to build.
Does being among so many wineries help or hinder selling your beer?
Vinnie: We feel it’s helpful because of the wine industry tourism, especially at our Windsor location.
Tom: We believe we live in an era where people are clamoring for the best experience possible, whether that be at a winery or a brewery.
What’s the best part of brewing your beer in Sonoma County?
Vinnie: There’s a strong maker community here, whether it is from wine to chocolate to produce, including our beers and others. For us, it’s also a great place to live.
Tom: Sonoma County is one of the greatest places to call home, and it’s an honor to pursue our dream of running a brewery here, especially since this is home to some of the most influential breweries in craft beer history.
Other than your brewery, where is your favorite spot to drink your own beer?
Rob: Snoopy’s Home Ice.
Natalie: Either Sea Thai Bistro or Underwood.
Is there anything you’d want people to know about Sonoma and/or your brewery?
Vinnie: We’re grateful for the support all the locals have given us over the years.
Tom: The Sonoma County beer scene is incredibly collaborative, making us passionate about community, connection and celebrating the little moments that make life worth living.
Contact Jay R. Brooks at BrooksOnBeer@gmail.com.