How Lagunitas dodged a drug bust to become a craft beer powerhouse

PETALUMA, California — The joint, according to those present, was colossal: eight inches long, unwieldy, about the circumference of a dime. Legend goes it had to be constructed using special papers and a bamboo sushi roller

The massive doobie sat waiting for Ron Lindenbusch at Lagunitas Brewing Company, on the afternoon of Thursday, March 17, 2005 — the brewery's St. Patrick's Day party.

Ron's business card identifies him as Lagunitas' "Beer Weasel," but his official title is chief marketing officer. The unofficial version seems more apt. At 53 years old, Ron is short and stout with sandy-gray hair. His friendliness seems perma-glazed with a thick coat of mellow. He punctuates comments with a slight chuckle, as if you're two people sharing a conspiratorial secret Read more...

More about Beer, Small Business, Features, Business, and St Patricks Day