Brew Ha Ha

Russian River Brewing News with Natalie Cilurzo

Natalie Cilurzo joins Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha, to tell us about Russian River Brewing [https://www.russianriverbrewing.com/] News and upcoming events. Her last time on the show was with Pliny the Younger  back on March 18 [https://brewhaharadio.com/first-taste-pliny-the-younger-2026/]. Natalie has brought three beers to taste, including Vinnie Cilurzo’s first signature beer, Blind Pig. Herlinda and Natalie were at the Craft Beer Convention in Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago. The industry is contracting. Schlitz beer is closing, in Milwaukee. They have been there for 120 years. Somebody might acquire that brand. UNREASONABLE HOSPITALITY One of the speakers they heard was Will Guidara. He talked about his book called Unreasonable Hospitality. Natalie is a fan and describes his advice for companies and people in any industry related to hospitality. He used to own 11 Madison Park, a Michelin 3-star restaurant. His approach is to do things for guests that are unexpected. For example, he sent his staff outside to get a hot dog from a street vendor, so he could serve it to his guests at his Michelin restaurant. He overheard their wish and did this to surprise them. •••• Visit Russian River Brewing Co [https://www.russianriverbrewing.com/]. in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Check out their website and socials for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more. •••• That made Natalie and Vinnie think a lot about the experience that people get from their annual Pliny the Younger release. Natalie remembers a young family there last year and the mom was pregnant, so Natalie gave her a RRBC onesie. The next year, they were back with the baby, wearing the onesie. The little details and personal touches are what make a customer’s experience special memorable. “It’s not just the beer, it’s the experience,” says Herlinda. The first beer they taste today is called Stivo. It’s a Keller Pils that they have made in collaboration with Firestone Walker for about 20 years, although this is the first year that RRBC is actually producing it. It has a dry hoppy flavor, but not like an IPA, what they call German hoppy, not as strong. A REALLY FUN BUSY SUMMER AT RUSSIAN RIVER BREWING Natalie grew up around cars and racing, and when they built the location in Windor with a big parking lot, she thought it would be a great place for a car show. So, they are doing that and there are 4 of them on the calendar this summer. One of the cars on display is an original Volkswagen van, owned by the third generation of the family. There will be lots of cars, a chopper sometimes shows up, a fire engine and an old Highway Patrol car too. The NHRA top fuel drag races are coming to Sonoma Raceway and they will display the cars on Wednesday, July 15, before the race, Anton Brown’s top fuel dragster will be on display.

Ethic Cider founder Ned Lawton

Ned Lawton, Ethic Cider [https://ethicciders.com/] founder, is our guest on Brew Ha Ha with Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell. Ned Lawton came straight from the farm. That’s the farm in your glass, says Herlinda. The aroma rises from a wine glass. Ned was on BHH last year on May 15, 2025 [https://brewhaharadio.com/gravenstein-apple-fair/], almost exactly one year ago to the day. ---------------------------------------- Visit Russian River Brewing Co [https://www.russianriverbrewing.com/]. in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more. Coming soon to Windsor, the Way-Back Wednesday Antique Car Show, June 17, July 22, August 19 and September 16, 5-7 PM, with a display of vintage cars, trucks and motorcycles. For more info, check out RRBC dot com and the RRBC socials. ---------------------------------------- Anything that is fermented fruit, like wine or cider, is made, and taxed, like wine. Ethic has a cider made from Arkansas Black apples. It is a late harvest apple and a slow ferment. In terms of wine talk, these apples are about 20 Brix, where apples are usually around 14 or 15 Brix. Cider makers can choose from different varietals, and they can also flavor it in many ways, such as adding fruit or using bourbon barrels. Ned says that’s where they bring fun to the game. Ethic Cider has a 3.5 acre apple orchard, with about 20 varietals. They have some Gravenstein and Goldan Delicious and Johnathans. They use those as a basis and build on top of that, getting apples from other growers as well. BLENDING CIDER: BALANCING TART, SWEET AND BITTER. Blending cider is a balance between tart, sweet and bitter. They can also add sugars. Ned says they also use natural yeast. The majority of the small makers do natural fermentation. They like to let the ciders start naturally, then finish with some white wine yeast. They do it carefully, but it is to make the flavors more predictably uniform. This middle path between wine and beer is Ned’s own way. He says cider people can be iconoclasts, a bit against the grain. He came from tech, did twenty years of that, then bought a farm in Occidental. He found that there was a lot to be done there, refurbishing the land. It was already apple country. He had a lot to learn about agriculture and refurbishing the land they are on. Ned sees that cider is growing. Since there is a known decline in wine and beer, people are discovering the option of cider. Everyone is asking what the consumer wants. Some of it is non-alcoholic. Ned thinks the growth in cider will also be driven by local production and brands. ETHIC CIDER EVENTS Ethic Cider has events [https://ethicciders.com/new-events] coming soon. The Summer Celebration Kick-Off is on May 30 [https://ethicciders.com/new-events/2026/5/30/summer-kick-off-music-series] from Noon to 5pm, at the Ethic Cider orchard in Sebastopol. Music, cider, barbeque and fun, no reservation required. Cider pairs well with BBQ! Also, they will also start doing Cider Salon on the second Thursday of the month, from 5-8 PM. The first Cider Salon is June 11, and they run through October. They taste a Newtown Pipin, which grows in the back of the orchard. Later they taste an Eau di Vie which is a brandy. They distill it from apples. It is clear and has no wood and no wood influences. It is really a spirit. So they add things to it. It can go into a spritz, with a cherry and some ice. Eau de vie can support a really nice cocktail. They also make a tonic water, which came from the need to have an N.A. option. They didn’t want to make a fermented cider and then de-alcoholize it, so they use apple cider vinegar mother to flavor it. With ethic tonic and apple cider vinegar, you can make a “shrub.” Herlinda points out that any menu or event should have at least one really good non-alcoholic option. This is to make sure that there is something for everybody. The problem has been sugars, and finding NA beverages that are not so high in sugar.

Marin Irish Festival 2026

Drew and Kevin Patterson from the Marin Irish Festival [https://marinirishfestival.com/] 2026 join Herlinda Heras and Daedalus Howell on Brew Ha Ha. Drew also came on Brew Ha Ha last year on April 24, 2025 [https://brewhaharadio.com/marin-irish-festival/], to promote last year’s event.  This year the festival has grown to cover two days, Saturday and Sunday May 16 and 17. Herlinda remembers attending the first Marin Irish Festival last year. Kevin’s parents started the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in the ‘70s. They also produce the Dickens Christmas Faire at the Cow Palace in December. They have everything Irish; food and drink, music, sheep dogs and a sanctioned Irish dance competition, called a feis, pronounced “fesh.” Theirs is maybe the biggest feis on the west coast. They have some Guinness, Smithwick and Tullamore whiskey, There are two Irish pubs. One is called the Bearded Goose, and the other is called The Gander. They sell all the Irish brews they can bring in. Drew says live music is what makes an Irish pub live. You can actually bring your instruments and play along. ++++ Visit Russian River Brewing Co [https://www.russianriverbrewing.com/]. in Santa Rosa on 4th St. and at their big Windsor location. Visit their website for up-to-date hours, menus, beers and more. ++++ LAGOON PARK COMES TO LIFE Lagoon Park is in the Marin County fairgrounds. The park comes to life with 6 stages. There will be demonstrations of falconry. One falconer has worked with them for more than 30 years. They will actually fly the birds from the main stage. There is also a pen for a small flock of sheep, where they demonstrate how sheep dogs work with the sheep. The festival began when some friends of Kevin’s were organizing a feis, but they had nothing happening around it. They developed the festival around the feis. Smithwick’s is a red ale and they are proud that they have it on draft. The Guinness is also on draft. Every glass of Guinness takes a two-minute pour. Tickets are $30 which Herlinda says is reasonable enough to allow someone to also do some shopping. There is a selection of craft vendors, makers of candles, glass blowing, kilts and more. There is a traditional meat pie booth. Hop Monk puts a special menu together. They also have kebobs and Greek food. The Tully Pickleback is a shot of pickle juice with a shot of Tullamore Dew whiskey. Hair [https://brewhaharadio.com/marin-irish-festival-2026/] of the dog? Pre-emptive hair of the dog? For example, Hop Monk makes Irish tacos, with corned beef and cabbage on a tortilla.

Herlinda Back from Philly and the Giro Vigneti

Jim Morris of Healdsburg Rotary and Randy Johnson of Getaway Ventures join Herlinda and Daedalus on Brew Ha Ha to talk about the Giro Vigneti [https://girovignetihealdsburg.com/] bicycle ride. Also, Herlinda is back from a trip to Philadelphia where she attended the Craft Brewers Conference [https://www.craftbrewersconference.com/news/2026-craft-brewers-conference-brewexpo-america-recap] and the World Beer Cup [https://www.worldbeercup.org/]. She has a lot to tell about Philadelphia and naturally she has also brought some beers back to taste and share. Later in the show, Jim Morris from Healdsburg Sunrise Rotary and Randy Johnson from Getaway Ventures join us to talk about the Giro Vigneti [https://girovignetihealdsburg.com/] bicycle ride. This year Philly will be a big part of the nation’s 250th or sesquicentennial celebrations. Herlinda’s last visit there was in 2020 during the pandemic and the Glass fire at home, when she escaped to Tara’s in Camden. During Covid they only let 6 or 12 people at a time into the Declaration of Independence. This time, there were school groups coming through. Philadelphia was our first national capital city and one of the cities at the heart of the American Revolution. ***** Visit Russian River Brewing Co. online [https://www.russianriverbrewing.com/] for up-to-date hours at the Downtown Santa Rosa and Windsor locations, menus, beers available and more. ***** The first beer Herlinda opens is a collaboration brew from the Craft Brewers Association and several other breweries. The members of the Craft Brewers Association are small independent family-owned businesses, not large corporate operations. This beer is a lager, 5.7% ABV and he label says, “Of the brewers, by the brewers, for the brewers…” SEVERAL BAY AREA BREWERIES WON MEDALS AT THE WORLD BEER CUP: * Russian River Brewing Co. won a bronze medal for Velvet Glow. * Morgan Territory Brewing in Tracy did very well. * Fieldwork Brewing, which just came into Santa Rosa, won several golds. * Danville Brewing Company, Hot Dogma and Alvarado Street Brewery won medals. * Otherwise Brewing in San Francisco swept the gluten-free category. * Sonoma Springs Brewing in Sonoma County and Cooperage Brewing in Santa Rosa also won medals. They begin the second portion of today’s show by tasting the second beer, called A Smile with Every Sip, from Troëgs [https://breweriesinpa.com/troegs-delivers-a-smile-with-every-sip-in-year-round-pennsylvania-lager/]. Jim Morris from Healdsburg Sunrise Rotary and Randy Johnson from Getaway Ventures join Herlinda and Daedalus. They are here to describe the Giro Vigneti [https://girovignetihealdsburg.com/] bicycle ride. It is a bicycle ride and race, one of the more beloved ones out there. It has a culinary tilt to it that no other ride has. There are three different routes, The Healdsburg Century, a Metric Century and an intermedio. There are well over 100 riders. The itineraries start and end in Healdsburg and go around the hills and the valley, with rest stops. The Giro Vigneti is a fund raiser. The grand prize is dinner for two at fifteen different restaurants in Healdsburg, including some pretty big names. The raffle tickets are $25 each or 5 for $100. All of the Rotarians are out selling raffle tickets. This is their single biggest fund raiser. To register to ride, go to the Giro Vigneti website. You can also ride a pedal-assist e-bike that you can rent from Getaway Adventures dot com in Healdsburg. They are offering 20% off for this race.

Herlinda in Philadelphia at Craft Brewers Conference

On Brew Ha Ha today, Herlinda is calling in from Philadelphia to talk to Daedalus Howell about the Craft Brewers Conference [https://www.craftbrewersconference.com/news/2026-craft-brewers-conference-brewexpo-america-recap] there, happening along with the World Beer Cup [https://www.worldbeercup.org/]. Russian River Brewing Co.’s Velvet Glow [https://www.russianriverbrewing.com/brew/velvet-glow/] Helles-style lager just won a Bronze medal at the World Beer Cup. Just as Herlinda was checking in with her media credentials, there was a crush of other media people around her. She saw that Joe Frazier’s daughter was there for the dedication of a statue of Joe Frazier in Philadelphia. Frazier was a heavyweight champion from Philadelphia. Next year the conference will be in San Antonio. The World Beer Cup is a competition among more than 8,144 beers from 1,644 breweries in 50 different countries. There were 255 judges, 128 of them were from outside the US.  113 beer categories and 5 cider categories made for an average of 69 beers in a category in the competition. So there are dozens of winners in all the different categories and styles. The local promoters always showcase the local beers, so Herlinda noticed that there were lots of Pennsylvania beers too, in circulation. WHY DOES GEN Z DRINK LESS? The conference has sessions about the state of the business, and equipment, yeast, etc. There was a seminar about why Gen Z people aren’t drinking as much. They collected suggested reasons why, and Herlinda’s Gen Z daughter had some thoughts. She points out that there are so many people on anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications now and you can’t drink when you’re on those meds. Nobody had brought that up. Another seminar reported evidence showing that people are spending 45% more time alone still, after Covid. Socialization is important to personal well-being as well as to recovery in the industry. Breweries are aware that to keep people together, they have to offer beverages and experiences beyond just the beer. Herlinda’s daughter also points out that that people have limited disposable income and don’t want to lose a day to a hangover. The RRBC site describes Velvet Glow [https://www.russianriverbrewing.com/brew/velvet-glow/] as an homage to an old Grace Brother’s beer. The Grace Brother’s brewery operated in Santa Rosa from 1933 to 1966. They created many iconic beer brands including Velvet Glow and Happy Hops. Velvet Glow is a clean, crisp, and refreshing Helles-style lager. It has a bright straw color and flavors of bread crust and biscuit. There is a very low bitterness with a mild hop aroma. The top five countries for number of entries were the US, Canada, China, Japan and Brazil. Herlinda got some really cute socks too, that she will bring back. In Brews News, Toronado Beer Bar in SF has been acquired by one of its regulars. The owner was ready to retire so it’s a good move. Firestone Walker has also bought Stone Brewing in Southern California. Some locations will close but it will continue. Sapporo had owned Stone and the Firestone people are happy. Nice that it’s a beer company and not a hedge fund. Also, Evil Genius of Philadelphia has bought out 21st Amendment Brewing in SF, a favorite stop of baseball fans in the city.