Monk’s Cafe is pouring Pliny the Younger on Monday, one month ahead of its official release
A long friendship with Russian River Brewing Company means owner Tom Peters gets to pour the beer during a special, annual charity event featuring other rare beers, drawing crowds from all over.
Pliny the Younger was a Roman lawyer and elected official during the first century AD, but this story isn’t about him — it’s about an eponymous, cult status beer, and it’s coming to Philly.
On Monday, Feb. 20, Philly residents will have the opportunity to grab a glass of Pliny the Younger at Monk’s Café.
This year’s Pliny the Younger release at Russian River Brewing Company will kick off March 24 — over a month after beer lovers in Philadelphia have had their first sip. That makes Monk’s among the first places in the country where the beer community will get to try this year’s batch.
The Sonoma County Economic Development Boards (EDB) compile annual reports on the impact Pliny the Younger has in California’s Sonoma County. In 2022, the beer’s two-week release brought in $6.1 million to its local community and attracted nearly 12,000 attendees from 42 states.
Over the years, Younger has skyrocketed to fame within the craft beer community, earning it a 4.65 out of five rating on the beer-centric social platform Untappd. The beer, originating from Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, Calif., pushes the envelope for what a hoppy beer can be. It boasts a 10.25% ABV (alcohol by volume) and is widely considered the first commercial triple India pale ale to be brewed. The brewing process instills a ton of hop flavor and aroma, with a lingering dry and bitter finish that is still smooth to drink despite its high alcohol content.
While the high ABV and intense hop flavors have sparked continued interest from beer drinkers, Younger’s legacy is also tied to its base formula. It builds upon another beer produced by the brewery, Pliny the Elder, a double IPA that has a legacy of its own.
Younger is a difficult and time-consuming beer to brew, according to previous statements from Russian River, and is only brewed once per year and released during a two-week window at its home brewery.
Philadelphia is the only market outside the western U.S. where it is distributed, but that hasn’t stifled its popularity. “I’ve been good friends for 20 years with (Russian River owners) Natalie and Vinnie Cilurzo, and we get Younger here because of that friendship,” said Tom Peters, the owner of Monk’s Café.
“[My friends and I] found Pliny the Elder at Monk’s and when this Pliny the Younger came out, we started waiting in lines for the release,” said Stephen Barrata, a resident of Cherry Hill. “These California IPAs are clear, crisp, just really deep-bodied IPAs that me and my friends love so much.”
But you don’t have to be a fan of strong IPAs to appreciate Pliny the Younger. Dave Metz, a local resident, said he’s more into lagers and pilsners these days but plans to make it out to the Younger release at Monk’s.
“I moved out West at the beginning of 2020. Russian River did an online release [of Younger] and I tried to get some but failed,” Metz said. But in 2022, he was able to attend the release at the brewery.
“I want to go for the story,” he said, who recently moved to the Fitler Square area. “Having Younger in back-to-back years, once in the Bay and once here.”
About the release, “it’s a great event,” Barrata said. “People come from Baltimore, New York, Washington [D.C]. Monk’s is the place to go.”
The Monk’s event gets underway at noon and all draft beer sold until 5 p.m. will be cash-only, with all sales going to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer. The Wynnewood-based non-profit is committed to “funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families and empowering everyone to help cure childhood cancer,” according to its website.
“We started making it a charity event about eight or 10 years ago,” Peters said. “The way I look at it is you’re making a donation to charity and I’m giving you a beer in return for that.”
In 2020, the last time the charity fundraiser was held due to COVID-19, Peters said they raised $20,000 for Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
Pliny the Younger won’t be the only rare beer available. Monk’s shared a draft list on its Instagram page that boasts 10 other Russian River beers—including Pliny the Elder—and an assortment of Belgian and American brews. Peters even helped brew some of the beers himself.
Can’t make it Monday afternoon? That’s okay.
“We’ll have Younger for a good portion of the week,” Peters said. But don’t expect to get as lucky with some of the other rarities on tap. “Some (beers) are definitely going to kick sooner than later. Some of these beers will be gone Monday.”