Although more famous for its wine, Sonoma County is also one of the best places in the world for beer. With a variety of new-school breweries (including HenHouse Brewing, Old Caz Beer, Seismic Brewing Company, Cooperage Brewing Company, and Barrel Brothers Brewing Company) as well as some legendary brands (Lagunitas Brewing Company, Russian River Brewing, Moonlight Brewing Company), this region north of San Francisco and west of Napa may even be the original home of craft beer. In 1976, New Albion Brewing opened in the town of Sonoma, and would go on to inspire the likes of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and Boston Beer Co.
Long before craft beer arrived, however, the Crane family had settled in the area, and began planting seeds and putting down roots. Literally.
Ron Crane and his father Tom are among the latest generations of Crane family members to farm in and around Sonoma County. Their ancestry in the region dates back to three brothers who traveled west in the late 1840s to find riches during the California Gold Rush. Two of the brothers would settle in the area permanently, and as part of their legacy, there are now two lines of Cranes farming locally.
Ron Crane and his wife, Erica, have become well-known in the Sonoma beer scene for their annual harvest of hops. Many of the breweries in the region are using their varieties as wet-hop additions in specialty annual releases. Now, they’re hoping to build some interest in another important ingredient: barley.
My employer, Admiral Maltings in Alameda, California, exclusively uses sustainably grown cereal grains from within California. Admiral will be working with the Crane family to release small batches of floor-malted barley grown in Sonoma County, and weaving in their harvest with the barley, wheat, rye, and oats they currently source from the Sacramento Valley and Tule Lake near the Oregon border. I know the beers made with the Cranes’ barley will be special—and I know that because I was lucky enough to meet them, and witness the Sonoma harvest for myself.
Words + Photoby Tim Decker