It’s been called the best beer in the world. It inspires pilgrimages from foreign lands and turns beer writers into poets as they pen odes to its hoppiness and balance. And – for the 10^th year running – it returns Friday to the Bay Area and, soon after, to select bars in California and three other states.

Of course I’m talking Russian River’s Pliny the Younger here, folks.

With no bottles available and no growlers allowed (since 2010), the limited release of this tasty triple IPA at the brewery has become an exercise in controlled – and happy – chaos. Devotees can expect to wait in line for up to eight hours just to grab a pint of it. When the beer runs out, typically within two weeks, it’s gone until next February.

And in the midst of readying the brewery for this limited release craziness, Russian River Brewing President Natalie Cilurzo took a few moments to chat with AmericanCraftBeer about the origins of Younger, its meteoric rise and the impact the cult following has had on one of the region’s most respected breweries.

ACB: What kind of reaction did Pliny the Younger receive when Russian River first brewed it in 2005?

Natalie: People liked it, but neither craft beer nor IPAs were on fire like they are now. We would have it on tap through March.

ACB: What inspired the beer that has since become legend?

Natalie: It was winter. We had tank space (those days are long gone!), and Vinnie decided to make a winter seasonal. Younger was inspired by the Elder recipe. Vinnie wanted to further push the boundaries on malt, hops, and alcohol and challenge himself to make a balanced beer, which he did right out of the gate!

ACB: What do you think was the tipping point for Younger in terms of the cult following that has developed?

Natalie: In 2010, beer enthusiasts rated Younger the best beer in the world on BeerAdvocate.com. People on Ratebeer.com also rated it very highly. It was gaining on social media and on those websites. We were on people’s radar with other beers, but this overnight popularity with Younger truly caught us off guard. We ran out of Younger that first Friday in February 2010 within eight hours! That was the last year we allowed growlers.

ACB: Exactly how swamped are you guys during the Younger release?

Natalie: This is the busiest time of year, but it’s very orderly and controlled. We can only allow so many people in the pub at one time based on our occupancy. So it’s busy, but a really steady busy for two solid weeks. The hardest part is keeping up your energy and enthusiasm for two weeks. It’s like putting on a play for 14 hours a day for two weeks. Kind of exhausting after a while! But we get through it and enjoy meeting all the interesting people from around the world. That’s the best part! At our staff meetings, I remind everyone how important it is that we respect the time, distance, money and effort people have invented just to come drink OUR beer. It is an honor, and we should not take it for granted. Not every brewery has a following like ours.

ACB: How do you go about managing something so big?

Natalie: Every year we get a little more organized. This year, we were required by the City of Santa Rosa to pull an events permit for the long line, which I’m actually happy about. The city is providing extra trash and recycling receptacles, three port-a-lets in Jeju Way, and extra police patrols. Not that we had too many problems with the line last year, but we want to maintain our friendly relationships with the neighbors as well as the city.

ACB: How will Friday be different from a typical day at the brewery? Who’s coming to the party?

Natalie: There will be a gigantic line that wraps around the block! Otherwise, business as usual. We get approximately 1,000 to 1,200 people per day. Last year, the Economic Development Board conducted an impact study on our two-week release of Pliny the Younger. Sixty-five percent of attendees were from out of the area and represented five foreign countries, 26 states and contributed nearly $2.4 million to the local economy. Not bad for one beer!

ACB: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being “pour it out” and 10 being “favorite beer ever,” how do you personally rate Younger?

Natalie: I have not had this year’s batch, yet. My general rule is never to “rate” our beers as taste is purely subjective and not everyone likes the same styles. Since they’re my beers, if I give Younger a 10, people will just say “of course she gave it a 10.” I do like the beer a lot and plan to have a few during the release. But my go-to beers are Blind Pig, Row 2 and our latest creation called Dribble Belt. I guess I like the hops with less alcohol! And you’ll have to ask me when I’m very old what my “favorite beer ever” was J.