Aim to arrive 10 minutes early and look for the guide with the beer umbrella outside the crown jewel of Santa Rosa’s craft beer scene: Russian River Brewing Co. This is the home of Pliny the Elder, the first commercially produced double IPA in the country, which was ranked as the #1 beer in the US by the American Homebrewers Association 8 years in a row! This masterpiece — along with several other perfected recipes for the Blind Pig IPA, the STS Pilsner, and the Belgian “-ation” series — have racked up over 40 medals for this remarkable brewery at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. We will begin our stumble here by sampling all 4 of these diverse and divine award-winning beers, while learning a bit about each other, the roots of Sonoma County's fascination with beer, and the reasons that Santa Rosa has been dubbed the microbrew capital of the country.

Meet the newest upstart microbrewery in Sonoma County: Civilization Brewing. Known for cannabis-inspired hazy IPAs, such as the Pineapple Express and the Super Lemon Haze, as well as their wonderfully unique Sweet Fire apricot habanero gose, Civilization is a small but mighty brewpub that has already made its mark on the Santa Rosa beer scene. We will enjoy a pint here and your choice of snacks, with some time to chill out in the cozy retro 1970s vibe of dark wood coffee tables, overstuffed couches, and oil paintings of waterfalls.

Specializing in strong Belgian ales, coffee porters, and a spectrum of 4 IPAs, the 3 Disciples Brewery offers an eclectic mix of the best styles Sonoma County has to offer. The founders built this brewery through sustainable farming, growing their own hops, barley and other ingredients to create some truly unique ales. Their flagship beer, The Lunar Halo Bourbon Imperial Stout, was aged in bourbon barrels for 10 months. With notes of chocolate brownies, coconut and an 11% ABV, this beer has won 4 top awards at the Battle of the Brews, beating out over 50 breweries to win the title of Best American Ale in 2019 and Best in Show in 2018. We will all get 5 oz. pours of this remarkable beer, along with another brew of your choosing from their ever-changing selection. This is a great spot to spend some time strolling around the venue, which has an outdoor courtyard, a concert stage, an art gallery, as well as darts, cornhole boards, and a giant jenga set that is begging to be played.

We wrap up our tour at the Shady Oak Barrel House, whose specialties focus on barrel aging, farmhouse ales and sour beers. All of the beers here – even the fantastic IPAs, stouts, and pilsners they produce – have a little bit of a weird and wild twist to them. Housed in a cavernous hangar that used to be a 1960s car dealership, all of the barrels that line the walls of the brewery are actually filled with beer that is aging and will one day be tapped and poured for customers. Shady Oak is always using their space for creative events and fundraisers, such as vinyl record swap meets, bike part exchanges, live music benefits, local art shows, stand up comedy, and trivia nights. Throw in the huge outdoor patio on the riverfront, a different food truck every night, and the largest collection of pinball machines in Sonoma County, and you’ve got the perfect spot to kick back, relax, and let the evening unwind from there.