Russian River Brewing Unveils Limited Edition Pliny the Elder Packaging

This morning brings an exciting look at a special release from Russian River Brewing Company, with locations in Santa Rosa and Windsor, California. The brewery is preparing a limited edition packaging update for one of the most iconic beers in American craft brewing: Pliny the Elder. This fresh artwork gives the legendary Double IPA a collectible twist while keeping the beer’s classic profile exactly as fans expect.

A New Artistic Take on a Craft Beer Legend
The 2026 limited edition packaging for Pliny the Elder features original artwork created by Sean “StPasto” Pastore, an artist known for bold, expressive, and highly stylized designs. His interpretation brings a new visual energy to the Pliny brand while honoring the beer’s long‑standing reputation as one of the most influential Double IPAs in the world.
This special label is expected to appeal to collectors, longtime Pliny fans, and anyone who follows Russian River’s seasonal and limited‑edition releases.

Same Iconic Beer, Fresh New Look
While the packaging is new, the beer inside remains the same world‑famous 8% ABV Double IPA that helped define the West Coast IPA movement. Pliny the Elder continues to deliver its signature blend of pine, citrus, resin, and crisp bitterness—qualities that have made it a benchmark in the craft beer community for more than two decades.
The 2026 limited edition release will be packaged in 510ml bottles, a format that Russian River has used for several specialty offerings and one that gives this collectible version a premium, distinctive feel.

What to Expect Next
Russian River Brewing will share additional details as the release approaches, including:
Distribution plans for the limited edition bottles
Availability windows for Santa Rosa, Windsor, and broader markets
Official release timing for the 2026 packaging
Any special events or brewery‑only offerings tied to the artwork launch

With its combination of iconic beer, limited edition artwork, and strong collector appeal, this version of Pliny the Elder is shaping up to be one of the standout 2026 craft beer packaging releases.

This 7 Oct 2026 update from Russian River:

Calling all Pliny the Elder and Pearls Before Swine fans! We are excited to announce a very special collaboration with our good friend, Stephan Pastis, the creator of syndicated comic strip, Pearls Before Swine! This limited edition Pearls and Pliny bottling will be available in bottles shops and stores where Pliny bottles are currently sold throughout our distribution network. Keep an eye out the first and second week of November when these adorable commemorative bottles should start popping up!

Join us at the Windsor brewery November 12th for a fun book and bottle signing with Stephan, Vinnie and Natalie! Stephan will be releasing his newest book, “Pearls Jubilee”, celebrating 25 years of the Pearls comic strip. Books will be available for purchase at the brewery during the event. Pearls and Pliny bottles will also be available at our Santa Rosa and Windsor pubs and online for shipping throughout California!

Stay tuned right here for more updates coming soon! Stephan Pastis

About Russian River Brewing:

Russian River Brewing Company was founded by Korbel Champagne Cellars in Guerneville, CA, in 1997. Vinnie was hired as the brewery’s brewmaster and initially sole employee. For the next 6 years, Vinnie continued to set the bar high for super hoppy and Belgian-inspired beers. Pliny the Elder, first brewed at the Korbel location in 1999, was one of the first commercially brewed Double or Imperial IPAs in America and won numerous awards over the years. It is still our most popular beer more than 20 years later.

In 2003, Korbel decided to get out of the beer business and transferred the rights to the Russian River Brewing Company name, all beer names, and the recipes to Vinnie and his wife, Natalie. We wrote a business plan, found 2 managing partners, and convinced 30 friends and family to invest in their new brewpub venture. In April 2004, we opened the doors to the next chapter of Russian River Brewing under our ownership.

Our beers have won dozens of awards from the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup. Vinnie and the brewery were twice named “Brewery and Brewmaster of the Year” at both the GABF and World Beer Cup. In 2007, Vinnie was awarded the “Russell Scherrer Award for Innovation in Brewing”. We received the “Brewers Association Recognition Award” in 2017. But the most important award of all are the many beer enthusiasts who visit from around the world year after year!

Over the years, we were able to buy out all of our partners and investors. The decision was made in 2014 to build our dream brewery right here in Sonoma County. The search for property took nearly 2 years which allowed us time to assemble our “dream team” of architects, consultants, designers, and contractors. We also received a lot of helpful advice from their friends in the beer industry! We found 15 undeveloped acres in Windsor, CA, and were quickly immersed in the project of a lifetime.

On October 11, 2018, we opened the doors to our new brewpub! The entire brewery is 85,000 square feet and encompasses beer production for both clean beers and sour barrel-aged beers, administrative offices, a brewpub, an outdoor beer garden, a gift shop, tasting room/growler fills, guided and self-guided tours, and 2 acres of free parking. This increased capacity has allowed us to distribute more draft and bottled beer to markets in which we currently sell as well as open up some new territories within the state of California. The original Downtown Santa Rosa location continues to thrive offering small batch brews and tasty pizza. Vinnie, Natalie, and all our dedicated employees are excited to share a beer or two at both breweries with you!

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