photo credit: courtesy of Russian River Brewing Company
Vinnie Cilurzo, co-owner of Russian River Brewing Company, appears as an answer on the game show Jeopardy!

A famous local brewer just got a little more famous after his name appeared on an episode of Jeopardy!

Vinnie Cilurzo is already well-known for his beer Pliny the Younger, a triple-hopped IPA from Russian River Brewing Company.

People come to Sonoma County from around the world every year for the annual two-week release of the brew, waiting in line for hours to get a pour.

But on Thursday, October 23, Cilurzo says he ended up in a bigger spotlight.

“I was actually just driving home after work and my phone starts exploding with text from friends on the East Coast and the first one was a picture of the screen from Jeopardy! and one of the answers, and as soon as I pulled into my driveway I looked at it and I said, ‘That's weird. My name is on one of the answers on Jeopardy!’ and it turned out that there was a category called Beer Me and it was related to me creating the double IPA beer style category of brewing,” said Cilurzo.

Cilurzo said it was the second answer revealed in the category worth $600.

“It said: ‘Microbrewer Vinnie Cilurzo is credited with making the first double this, a hoppy craft brew with a foreign country in its name.’ And of course the answer would be IPA or India Pale Ale,” said Cilurzo. “And Ken Jennings even got my name, my last name, pronounced correctly as well. But I'd expect nothing less from him.”

This is not the first time that Cilurzo has been part of Jeopardy!

“My dad was a professional TV lighting director all through my childhood,” Cilurzo said. “I grew up in Southern California, and he did a lot of work for Merv Griffin. As many folks may know, and still it says on the credits that Jeopardy! was actually created by Merv Griffin. My mom would take my sister and I to watch the show get taped.”

Cilurzo said the game show also played a role while courting his wife.

“That was actually one of Natalie and mine's first dates. I took her to see Jeopardy! being taped," Cilurzo said. 

As for this week's connection, said Cilurzo, "Aside from being a very cool thing that happened, very flattering and humbling, it's amazing how many people watch Jeopardy! because even before Natalie posted it, I was getting or we were both getting inundated with text with folks saying that they had seen the show."