Beer

Chandon will be offering its ready-to-pour Chandon Orange Spritz at this year's BottleRock Napa Valley. (Chandon)

Thirsty? What to drink at BottleRock Napa Valley 2026

By Sarah Doyle

May 15, 2026 at 12:08 p.m.

BottleRock Napa Valley returns with a lineup of world-class wines, local beers and other tasty...

Nick DeMayo and his father, Ed, at Brewery 42 in San Rafael. (Courtesy of Ed DeMayo)

Retired Marin surgeon’s home brew wins prestigious award

By Jeff Burkhart

May 12, 2026 at 3:21 p.m.

Ed DeMayo, a retired orthopedic surgeon in San Rafael, pulled in the top honor at...

Visitors sample Old Caz’s version of Cazunitas Collaboration IPA on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at Old Caz’s Rohnert Park brewpub. (Anderson Templeton / For the Argus-Courier)

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‘A dream come true’: Popular local brewery expands to Petaluma, taking over well-known spot

By Sarah Doyle

May 7, 2026 at 6:17 a.m.

Old Caz Beer, the popular Rohnert Park-based brewery and taproom, is expanding its Sonoma County...

Brewmaster Matt Sager, center, of Danville Brewing Company, with his wife, Amanda Ashton-Sager, picks up a gold award the American-Style Strong Pale Ale category for his beer, In Tasty We Trust, at the 2026 World Beer Cup in Philadelphia. (Photo courtesy of the Brewers Association)

These Bay Area breweries won big at the 2026 World Beer Cup

By Jay R Brooks

May 6, 2026 at 6:37 a.m.

Bay Area breweries took home a dozen awards, including five gold medals, at this year's...

Russian River Brewing Company Server Tamara Morales serves up Pliny the Younger, Friday, March 20, 2026, in Santa Rosa. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)

‘Just like Christmas’: Fans finally get a taste of Russian River Brewing Co.’s Pliny the Younger

By Sarah Doyle

March 23, 2026 at 3:41 p.m.

Pliny the Younger, Russian River Brewing Co's famous triple IPA, has returned to the brewery’s...

Lance Harmening, front, and Gerald Rapozo from Santa Rosa, the first group in the doors, celebrate Russian River Brewing Company’s release of Pliny the Younger, Friday, March 20, 2026, in Santa Rosa. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)

Photos: Pliny the Younger 2026 release at Russian River Brewing Company

By The Press Democrat

March 20, 2026 at 3:28 p.m.

For those eagerly awaiting Pliny the Younger, the moment is here. Russian River Brewing Company's...

Irish stout is part of the St. Patrick’s Day tradition. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Why do people drink Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day?

By Jay R Brooks

March 12, 2026 at 11:48 a.m.

In just a few short days, everyone will be — at least for the day...

Friends from Stockton toast their first round of Pliny the Younger triple IPA Friday morning March 21, 2025, at Russian River Brewing Co. in downtown Santa Rosa. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)

Pliny the Younger returns soon. What to know about Russian River Brewing’s 2026 release

By Sarah Doyle

March 18, 2026 at 10:09 a.m.

Pliny the Younger — the world’s most famous triple IPA — will return to Sonoma...

The new owners of the nearly 90-year-old 8 Ball bar in Cotati, from left, Jenafer Keys, Audrey de Vere Hunt and Julie Black Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)

‘The girls are calling the shots’: Women take over historic local bar

By Natalie Hanson

March 20, 2026 at 3:04 p.m.

Cotati's 89-year-old 8 Ball tavern is now being led by a three-woman team. The new...

Allo Gilinsky, a local beer educator and certified cicerone, will partner with the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum to present “Discover Sonoma County Craft Beer: A Guided Tasting Experience" on Friday, Feb. 27. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)

‘Delicious history’: Sip and explore Sonoma County’s beer-making past this Friday

By David Templeton

February 25, 2026 at 12:36 p.m.

Sonoma County’s beer-making past comes to life in a story-filled tasting led by a certified...

A bottle of Drake’s Denogginizer Imperial Ale comes fresh off the bottling line in the packaging hall at Drake’s Brewing Company in San Leandro on April 10, 2017. (Laura A. Oda/Bay Area News Group)

Drake’s Brewing to form West Coast Craft joint venture

By Jay R Brooks

February 22, 2026 at 6:16 a.m.

The San Leandro brewery has announced it will partner with a Central Coast California brewery,...

HenHouse Brewing's Big Chicken Fest is one of this year's hottest beer events. (HenHouse Brewing)

Big Chicken Fest and Pliny the Younger release among best local beer events 2026

By Sarah Doyle

February 21, 2026 at 7:43 a.m.

February officially kicks off beer event season in the Bay Area, with some of the...

Sayre Piotrkowski is the executive director of the Bay Area Brewers Guild and is the main person organizing San Francisco Beer Week this year. (Photo courtesy of Sarah Deragon)

Renowned beer event coming to Marin

By Jay R Brooks

February 18, 2026 at 8:10 a.m.

San Francisco Beer Week is starting much later than usual this year, thanks in large...

A Pliny the Younger tag on a keg at Russian River Brewing Company in Windsor on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)

Want an early taste of this year’s Pliny the Younger? Here’s where to find it

By Sarah Doyle

February 6, 2026 at 8:17 a.m.

This week, the brewery filled 900 coveted kegs of Pliny, which will begin distribution Feb....

Tate Huffard is CEO of Best Day Brewing, a non-alcoholic beer company based in Sausalito.

Best Day Brewing CEO: Dry January can ‘fundamentally change your life’

By Jason Mastrodonato

January 30, 2026 at 4:34 p.m.

Tate Huffard, who launched the NA beer brand in Sausalito five years ago, explains why...

Fieldwork Brewing Company's line of NA beers are flying off the shelves. (Mo Alcaraz)

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The best nonalcoholic beers in Sonoma County

By Sarah Doyle

January 29, 2026 at 12:04 p.m.

Nonalcoholic beer is booming. Here are some of our favorite NA brews and hop waters...

Glasses of Pliny the Younger await pickup by a server at Russian River Brewing Company, in Santa Rosa, on Friday, February 3, 2017. (Christopher Chung/ The Press Democrat)

4 beer trends on tap in 2026

By Jay R Brooks

January 13, 2026 at 1:41 p.m.

Here are a few beer trends to look for as you sip your way through...

Full bottles of of Russian River 110 West Coast Pils move down a line for boxing at Russian River Brewing Company in Windsor on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)

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Russian River Brewing Co. releases new beer supporting nonprofit

By Sarah Doyle

January 7, 2026 at 3:01 p.m.

Russian River Brewing Company introduces new beer style to raise funds for Russian Riverkeeper, a...

Customers enjoy their dinner during the last day of the Walnut Creek Yacht Club restaurant in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Almost 30 years since the Walnut Creek Yacht Club opened, chef-owner Kevin Weinberg and co-owner Ellen McCarty say it’s just time to close and want to enjoy retirement. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)

12 long-lived Bay Area restaurants we said goodbye to in 2025

By Linda Zavoral

December 12, 2025 at 5:06 a.m.

The establishments we pay tribute to here had been landmarks for years, even generations.

Friends and family of Fieldwork Brewing Co. enjoy the new Montgomery Village location on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025 in Santa Rosa. (Nicholas Vides / For The Press Democrat)

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Highly anticipated brewery finally opens in Santa Rosa

By Sarah Doyle

December 3, 2025 at 7:55 a.m.

Fieldwork Brewing Co., the popular Berkeley-based craft brewery, has finally opened the doors to its...