Building a Beer Mecca, Week After Week
Sonoma County Models a Community-Grounded, Self-Renewing Beer Economy
With FeBREWary underway and Beer Week on the horizon, Sonoma County’s beer advocates are once again showing us how thriving beer communities are built: slowly, deliberately, and together.
In 2020, a national database ranked beer cities based on the quality and depth of their offerings. Predictable powerhouses—San Diego, Denver, Portland, Anchorage—filled out the top tier. But the number one spot went to Santa Rosa.
How did California’s 27th-largest city outperform some of the biggest markets in the country?
The answer is less about hype and more about infrastructure, intent, and consistency. Every enduring culture has people who show up, day after day, year after year, to tell its stories, connect its participants, and explain to the uninitiated why it matters. In Sonoma County, that person is Herlinda Heras.
“My role is that of a cheerleader,” Herlinda told me. “I support the craft beer industry.”
She learned just how important that role was during the devastating 2017 fires.
“When we have a crisis,” Herlinda said, “breweries are the first ones to step up. They just do it. There is no hesitation. I remember Brian Hunt from Moonlight—who used to be a volunteer firefighter—out there with a hose,” she recalled. “We have all these amazing breweries here, and I realized then, as we went on to deal with four fires and a pandemic, that I am not a fair-weather fan.”
For twelve years, Herlinda has hosted Brew Ha Ha: a live, weekly, one-hour radio show and podcast devoted to craft beer and the people who make it. Produced every Thursday at 5 p.m. on Wine Country Radio, the show has become a cultural anchor for the region.
Herlinda, an accomplished competition judge, former Project Coordinator for the Sonoma State Extension Beer Program, and trusted voice across the industry, co-founded the show with drive-time radio fixture Steve Jaxon and Joe Tucker, founder of the seminal online beer community RateBeer.com. In 2018, Tucker moved on and was replaced by the legendary Mark Carpenter, brewmaster emeritus of Anchor Brewing. Together, they built something rare (sadly, “unique” might be more apt): a consistent, widely heard public platform that treats beer as an integral part of local culture.
Today, Brew Ha Ha is presented by Russian River Brewing Company—arguably the most influential brewery in American craft beer—and that sponsorship reflects the same long-term, community-minded approach that has defined both the show and the region. This Thursday, February 5, Natalie Cilurzo, Russian River’s co-owner and president, will join the program to share where listeners can find Pliny the Younger during this year’s Beer Week season.
A look through the Brew Ha Ha archives reads like a living history of American craft beer. You'll find pioneers such as Dan Gordon and Dean Biersch, Tony Magee (Lagunitas), Don Barkley (New Albion), and Ken Grossman (Sierra Nevada), contemporary leaders like Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo (Russian River) and John Mallet (Bells Brewing), and future-facing voices like Marcus Baskerville, the brewmaster behind “Black Is Beautiful,” and Tara Nurin, author of A Woman's Place Is in the Brewhouse: A Forgotten History of Alewives, Brewsters, Witches, and CEOs.
“This last week was our twelve-year anniversary,” Herlinda reflected. “I’ve seen the triumphant times when banks were fighting to sponsor brewer events. And I’ve seen friends struggle and have to close.”
Continuity means staying present through booms and busts, headlines and heartbreaks, and that commitment is personal for Herlinda. Over the years, she has judged beer and food competitions in Mexico, Brazil, Finland, Portugal, Singapore, Italy, and beyond, but she has never missed a show.
“That energy really sustains me,” she said. “Even when I’m traveling internationally, I’ll call in at one or two in the morning to be on live.” By most accounts, she is also the only woman in America currently hosting a live broadcast radio show dedicated to brewing.
Last week, Herlinda celebrated Brew Ha Ha’s anniversary by hosting the team from Visit Santa Rosa to launch their FeBREWary initiative and the Santa Rosa Beer Passport.
In 2026, Visit Santa Rosa’s FeBREWary marks the tenth anniversary of its mission to honor brewing heritage, support small producers, educate the public, and strengthen connections between breweries and their neighborhoods. The mere existence of such a project, let alone its sustained success, reflects Sonoma County’s shared understanding of what makes a beer community healthy.
As Janelle Meyers, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Visit Santa Rosa, explains:
“Santa Rosa’s breweries are deeply rooted in their communities. They’re gathering places, employers, and collaborators, and many are located in areas that visitors might not otherwise explore. Programs like the Beer Passport help connect those dots, supporting small beer businesses while strengthening the fabric of our neighborhoods.”
It is refreshing to see a tourism board treat its breweries not as interchangeable attractions, but as civic institutions: places where people gather, where wages circulate locally, where collaborations form, and where neighborhoods gain their specific character.
Herlinda sees the same principle as a function of public policy.
“I’m told by brewers all over the world,” she said, “that the way a city government supports—or hinders—this industry varies widely. If counties want tourism and tax revenue, they need to make it easier on small businesses. Everybody has to work together.”
What Sonoma County demonstrates is not just a strong beer scene, but a functioning ecosystem.
- Media that takes beer seriously.
- Breweries and retailers that reinforce quality for the end consumer.
- Tourism agencies that center on small, idiosyncratic operators
- Public institutions that understand their role.
There is nothing especially exotic about what Sonoma County is doing. It does not require a massive budget or constant reinvention. It requires showing up, creating platforms, building connections, removing unnecessary obstacles, and recognizing breweries as civic assets.
None of this is complicated. What is rare is the collective decision to do it consistently.
Each part strengthens the others. No single element creates a beer destination; the network does. It matters that local radio treats breweries as worthy of sustained, in-depth coverage. It matters that tourism boards understand small producers as cultural assets. That is how beer becomes more than a product, and how a city becomes a beer city.
Across the Bay Area, we are home to extraordinary small breweries that do thoughtful, community-centered work and garner national and even international attention. Too often, their contributions go unnoticed by the institutions best positioned to amplify them.
Places like Sonoma County, people like Herlinda, and organizations like Visit Santa Rosa remind us that this is a choice, and it is just as easy to choose to pay attention, collaborate, invest locally, and build systems that enable good work to compound over time.
🍻 Upcoming Events Featuring Our Member Breweries
🎉 Public Events This Week!
Thursday 2/5/2026— Slingshot Improv Trio Live at Discretion Brewing
A trio of seasoned improvisers from the jazz, funk, and jamband worlds take over the beer garden at Discretion Brewing. No cover. Family-friendly.
More Info –> Free live music in Soquel!
Friday 2/7/2026— First Friday with Local Honey at Discretion Brewing
Paying homage to some of the big voices of the last seven decades, Local Honey seeks out feel-good songs with strong vocals and infectious beats.
More Info –> Free live music in Soquel!
Saturday 2/7/2026— The 26th Annual Bistro Double IPA Festival
The historic Bistro Double IPA festival returns to Main Street!
Tickets & More Info –> Double IPA Festival 2026 In Hayward!
📅 Save the Dates
Monday, 2/9—Beer Week 2026 Event Listings Go Live
Be sure to check Sfbeerweek.org the day after the Super Bowl!
Wednesday 2/11/2026— Chef's Table Food & Beer Pairing at Del Cielo
A four-course Valentine’s dinner on Wednesday, February 11th, at Del Cielo's Livermore Taproom.
Menu, Limited Tickets & More Info –> Beer Pairing Dinner in Livermore!
Saturday 2/14/2026— Valentine's Celebration at Steel Bonnet Brewing
Come cuddle up at the Steel Bonnet taproom this Valentine's Day with a new Raspberry Stout, a fresh oyster bar, live sultry jams by Triana Feruza & delicious sweets from Celtic Tea Shoppe!
More Info –> Valentine's Day in Scotts Valley!
Friday 2/20/2026 - Sunday 3/1/2026 — Beer Week 2026
(The Whole Damn Bay Area!)
The biggest and best regional celebration of independent craft beer on the planet!
Keep up-to-date at sfbeerweek.org
Saturday 2/21/2026— SF Beer Week Fest 2026 at Salesforce Park
Tickets on sale now! Prices increase 2/9/2026!
Tickets & More Info –> SF Beer Week Fest 2026!