Just in time for one of the biggest beer events of the year, Windsor has launched a free ride for folks who want to sample locally made adult beverages, from wine and gin to the bucket-list Pliny the Younger triple IPA.
As of today, you can ride the Windsor Hopper, a free shuttle service that offers rides between local hotels and the town’s various attractions, such as wine tasting rooms, restaurants, and craft breweries. The designated-driver appeal (check out the cheeky video message from the Windsor mayor) is indeed substantial: the list of shuttle stops within the town’s Artisan Alley Beverage District includes the Pinot Noirs and Cabernet Francs of Colagrossi Wines, the spirits of Sonoma Brothers Distilling, and the apple-based elixirs of Tilted Shed Ciderworks.
The route also includes one especially timely stop: Russian River Brewing Co., whose annual Pliny the Younger IPA will be released from February 1–14 at both the new Windsor branch and its original home in downtown Santa Rosa. The addition of a second Younger-enabled facility should reduce the long waits that beer lovers have endured to taste this limited-edition brew.
Now in its 15th year, the acclaimed triple IPA can be enjoyed only on tap, not in bottles or even growlers. (Check out our tips from 2018 on how to make the most of the IPA’s short season.)
The Windsor Hopper makes each stop on its route about once an hour, depending on the weekday or weekend schedules. And while shuttle rules say that you can’t imbibe while riding, you can transport any wine or beer purchases you have made along the way.