North Coast Brewing Releases Old Rasputin

In 1995, North Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg, California, released Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. The brewery presented the beer as an American interpretation of the strong English stouts historically associated with exports to the Russian imperial court. At 9 percent alcohol and 75 IBUs, it combined substantial roasted-malt character, bitterness, and alcoholic strength. Old Rasputin became one of the most enduring examples of Russian Imperial Stout in American craft brewing. It entered North Coast’s core range and gained recognition through repeated awards, including gold medals at the inaugural World Beer Cup in 1996 and the Great American Beer Festival in 1999 and 2002. Its sustained availability helped introduce a wider craft-beer audience to a style that had developed from Britain’s strong export porters and stouts.