HenHouse Brewing’s Big Chicken Is Released Today, Here’s Where to Find It

Big Chicken is only available for up to three days. Here's where to catch the rare bird in Sonoma County.


A chicken is on the run. We’re not talking about the feathery, poultry kind but a big hoppy one. And now is your chance to catch it.

This Thursday, Feb. 6, marks the eighth annual release of Henhouse Brewing Company’s Big Chicken double IPA. As we speak, Bay Area beer enthusiasts are getting ready to seek out the rare bird.

Like Russian River Brewing Company’s Pliny the Younger, Big Chicken is a limited- and controlled-release beer. Unlike “Younger,” which is available during a two-week period each February, Big Chicken is only available up to three days in February. The beer’s unusually high hop content (twelve pounds per barrel) makes it a fragile brew that perishes fast — this is the reason it is brewed, kegged and tapped in a single day.

“Big Chicken is the extreme of our focus on freshness,” said Henhouse Brewing Company’s president Scott Goyne. “Beer is a far more perishable product than most folks realize — hop flavor and aroma degrade fast — so it’s important to drink hoppy beer in its short window of freshness.”

The coveted brew usually runs out within two days, which leaves only a small window to get a taste. Its limited availability only adds to its allure, as is the case with Pliny the Younger, a publicity stunt both Russian River Brewing Company and Henhouse Brewing Company have leveraged to their advantage.

This year, Big Chicken will be available at HenHouse’s Santa Rosa and Petaluma taprooms, Feb. 6  to Feb. 8. Both tasting rooms will be open 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday. (There is a two four-pack per person, per day allotment, as well as two 14-ounce pours per person, per day). 

Big Chicken will also be available in the following locations: 

Locations With Big Chicken on Tap

Alameda

Lucky 13

Straw Hat Pizza

Alamo

Ej phair Alamo

Extreme Pizza Alamo

Albany

Albany Taproom

Berkeley

Bobby G’s Pizzeria

Cask on College

Cornerstone

Tupper & Reed

Benecia

Sailor Jack’s

Brentwood

Brentwood Emporium

Hop Asylum

Brentwood Craft aka Sand Creek

Concord

BJs Concord

Concord Taphouse

Eureka! Concord

The Hop Grenade

Cotati

Flagship Taproom

Danville

Pete’s Brass Rail

The Growler

Dublin

Caps and Taps

Three Sheets

El Cerrito

The Little Hill Lounge

Emeryville

Prizefighter

Fairfax

Split Rock Tap and Wheel

Healdsburg

Coyote Sonoma

Elephant in the Room

Healdsburg Bar & Grill

Kenwood

Salt & Stone

Lincoln

Infusion

Livermore

Beach Hut Deli

First Street Alehouse

Hops and Sessions

Sauced BBQ Livermore

Tap 25

Hop Devine

Martinez

Slow Hand BBQ Martinez

Mill Valley

Proof Lab

Napa

Napa Palisades Saloon

Squeeze Burger Napa

Hop Creek Pub

Novato

Hopmonk Novato

Extreme Pizza

Beer Craft

Oakland

Beer Revolution

Ben N’ Nicks

Brotzeit Lokal

Cato’s Ale House

Degrees Plato

Magpie

Paulista

Philomena

Portal

Rosamunde Oakland

The Good Hop

Tiger’s Taproom

The Trappist

Occidental

Barley & Hops

Union Hotel Occidental

Orinda 

Fourth Bore

Petaluma

Twin Oaks

Brewsters Beer Garden

McNear’s

Ray’s Deli and Tavern

Roaring Donkey

Seared Grill- Petaluma

Buffalo Billiards

Speakeasy

Taps Petaluma

Hank’s Petaluma

The Block

Pleasant Hill

Jack’s Taps

Slow Hand BBQ Pleasant Hill

Pleasanton

Lokanta Pleasanton

Oyo

Bottle Taps

Mckay’s

Porky’s Pizza Palace

Rohnert Park

Beer Craft

Roseville

Final Gravity

Bar 101

Sacramento

Hop Gardens

Cap Hop Shop

San Anselmo

Creekside Pizza

San Francisco

Flying Pig

Giordano Bros.

Alembic

Barrelhead Brew House

Beer Hall

Beer Nerds

Church Key

For Point Valencia

City Beer Store

Crafty Fox

Dark Horse Inn

Devil’s Slide Taproom

Emporium

Fermentation Lab

Fly Bar

Chruchill

Foghorn Taproom

The Showdown

Bloodhound

Hops & Hominy

Hopwater Distribution

Liquid Gold

MIkkeller Bar

Monaghan’s

Monk’s Kettle

Ocean Ale House

Old Devil Moon

Richmond Republic Draught House

Rosamunde Mission

Rusty’s Southern

Sessions

Sea Star

The Ave

The Brew Coop

The Page

Toronado

Zeitgeist

Chomp N Swig

Hardwood Bar & Smokery

Public House

Local Tap

Holy Water

San Leandro

Porky’s Pizza Palace

Son’s of Liberty

The Cooler

San Rafael

Flat Iron

Libation Taproom

Pint Size Lounge

Tam Commons

Santa Rosa

Belly

Brew

Epicenter

Everybody’s Tappin

Juncture Taproom

La Rosa

Local Barrel

Mayacama Golf Club

Mission Kitchen Bar

Ricardo’s Bar and Grill

Rincon Valley Tap Room

Santa Rosa Golf & Country Club

Steele & Hops

Toad in the Hole

Trail House

Westside Grill

Whiskey Tip

Whole Foods Coddingtown

Wilibees SR

Sebastopol

Hopmonk Sebastopol

Ramen Gaijin

Community Market

Sonoma

Hopmonk

Tiburon

SF Yacht Club

Tracy

Delta Brews

Walnut Creek 

Extreme Pizza

Hops & Scotch

Ol Beer Cafe

Rotator Taproom

Sauced BBQ

Windsor

Barley & Bine

Mountain Mikes

Super Burger

Olivers Tavern

Locations With Big Chicken in Cans 

Brentwood

Brentwood Emporium

Hop Asylum

Calistoga

Cal Mart

Concord

Hop Grenade

Cotati

Flagship Taproom

Olivers Market

Dublin

Caps & Taps

Three Sheets

Healdsburg

Big Johns

Shelton’s

Tip Top Liquors

Mill Valley

Mill Valley Market

Novato

BeerCraft

Harvest Market

Oakland

Degrees

Good Hop

Petaluma

Penngrove Market

Charley’s Liquor

Petaluma Market

Steel Bear

Wilibees

Rohnert Park

BeerCraft

Roseville

Final Gravity

Sacramento

Hop Garden

San Anselmo

Ludwig’s

San Francisco

City Beer

Liquid Gold

San Rafael

Libations

Marin Bev

Santa Venetia

Santa Rosa

Bevmo Santa Rosa Ave

Bottle Barn

Juncture

Local Barrel

Molsberry Market

Olivers- Motecito

Olivers- Stony Point

Pacific Market

Rincon Valley Wine & Craft

Trailhouse

Whole Foods- Coddingtown

Willibees Santa Rosa

Sausalito

Driver Market

Sebastopol

Andy’s Produce

Community Market

Fiesta Market

Fircrest Market

Olivers- Windsor

Pohley’s

Walnut Creek

Ol Beer Cafe

Rotator Taproom