Russian River’s STS Pils and Velvet Glow Helles lager will be available in stores in 12 oz. can 6-packs for the first time, starting this fall.
The California craft brewery’s offerings have previously been available exclusively on draft and in 510ml bottles.
Russian River announced the news this week in an email to wholesale partners and the response so far “has been overwhelmingly positive,” Russian River co-owner Natalie Cilurzo told Brewbound.
“Adding 12 oz. cans to our overall product mix marks a significant milestone for Russian River, and we could not be more enthusiastic about embarking on this new chapter together,” Russian River wrote in the email, shared with Brewbound. “Rest assured, our beloved and ICONIC 510ml bottles will remain steadfast products in our portfolio. We understand the value of our presence on the store shelves, and we have no intention of disrupting those long-standing placements.”
Russian River’s hop-focused, year-round offerings, including Pliny the Elder, Blind Pig and Happy Hops will remain only on draft and in bottles in distribution. STS Pils and Velvet Glow will also still be available in 510ml bottles until Russian River has “confidently transitioned to the new 12 oz. can packaging,” which is expected in the first quarter of 2024.
The first can run of STS Pils and Velvet Glow is scheduled for mid-September and will be released at Russian River’s Windsor and Santa Rosa, California, locations, before heading into local distribution October 2.
The move comes as Russian River increases its lager capacity with its nearly completed Lagerhaus project.
The project, which Cilurzo teased on the Brewbound Podcast earlier this year, will enable the company to “relocate our lager production to a new dedicated cellar, but also provides us with greater flexibility in managing tank rotations at the Windsor brewery,” according to the email.
Relisten to Cilurzo’s Brewbound Podcast interview, including how Russian River decided to reallocate barrel-aged sour space for its new lagerhaus.