Skip to main content

Take a Peep at the Craft Brew Races’ 2018 Schedule of Cities

Nothing quenches a post-run thirst quite like a cold beer, and, not surprisingly, there is a large crossover between the craft beer and running communities. Check out any street race and you’ll see T-shirts proclaiming the wearer a “Beer Runner” and homemade signs challenging participants to run harder in order to earn those beer calories.

Several craft breweries have gotten in on the beer and running combination by sponsoring their own races. A prime example is the annual Dogfish Dash, a charity run organized by Delaware’s Dogfish Head. Many other breweries, like NoDa Brewing Company in Charlotte, North Carolina, boast weekly running clubs where local enthusiasts trot for a few miles around the brewery before indulging in the spoils of fresh beer.

Recommended Videos

Craft Brew Races is taking the concept further by creating a nationwide running series that combines a spirited 5K route with a full-on craft beer festival waiting at the finish line.

For the 2018 season, Craft Brew Races will be hitting six cities around the U.S. The race calendar kicks off March 10 in Savannah, Georgia, and concludes on August 18 in Portland, Maine. In between, cities like Newport, Rhode Island, and Stowe, Vermont, host events throughout the spring and summer.

While many runners are accustomed to celebrating a trip across the finish line with a single “light” or “ultra” macrobrew from a race sponsor, the Craft Brew Races experience is much more immersive, promising more than 30 breweries at each event. The available beer has a strong local craft focus but you can also expect highly regarded national labels. Don’t worry, this isn’t a Beer Mile; go at your own pace and enjoy that hard-earned beer at the end, not during your run.

Matt Gray, founder of Craft Brew Races, had previously promoted separate beer festivals and road races through his marketing firm.He quickly found there was a niche to combine them. “There is a great crossover in people between beer and running,” says Gray. “They go hand in hand and they always have, but the craft beer movement allowed us to have this opportunity.”

Find a Craft Brew Races event near you by visiting CraftBrewRaces.com.

Feature image courtesy of Craft Brew Races/Facebook.

Lee Heidel
Lee Heidel is the managing editor of Brew/Drink/Run, a website and podcast that promotes brewing your own beer, consuming the…
Myths busted: Why rinsing your beer glass matters more than you think
Beer glass rinsing 101
beer

Myths run riot in the land of drinks and we're on a mission to dispel them. Just ask the chill-able red wine or age-worthy beer. There are rules in beer, cocktail, and wine culture, sure, but there are also misconceptions and unknowns very much worth figuring out.

You know the sayings: Rum is only for tiki drinks, mezcal is just a smoky version of tequila, or you can't make a good non-alcoholic beer. We know these things to be untrue as we've tasted the evidence.

Read more
What is Gibraltar coffee? The trendy espresso drink you need to try
Where and how this tiny espresso drink began
gibraltar coffee

Found only at select coffee shops is the Gibraltar coffee -- a coffee menu item that will leave you saying, "What is that?" based on its name alone. This specialty coffee originated in San Francisco at Blue Bottle Coffee but has since spread to small coffee shops worldwide. I'd describe this coffee as similar to a Cortado, yet these two drinks have unique differences.

When I first saw a Gibraltar coffee at a coffee shop, I knew I needed to learn more about what this coffee was all about. I chatted with Gibraltar coffee expert Vadym Granovskiy, an expert in coffee Artistry, expertise and mentorship, and TEDx Kyiv Speaker, to learn everything about the Gibraltar coffee -- from how it's made to how it was invented. Granovskiy is especially inspired by the story behind the accidental invention of Gibraltar coffee, drawing inspiration as a coffee lover himself. In his free time, he loves to experiment with new coffee and espresso beverages.

Read more
World Whiskey Society is launching a bourbon that’s finished in a rare, Japanese cask
World Whiskey Society's newest bourbon was dubbed "Samurai Edition"
Whiskey in a glass

Fans of exceptional, unique whiskey know all about the World Whiskey Society's prowess. Founded in 2020, this brand strives to bring rare, ultra-premium expressions to whiskey drinkers' home bars and liquor cabinets. Its newest whiskey combines America's "native spirit" with the aging techniques popularized in Japan.
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished In Japanese Mizunara Shochu Barrels

To say this whiskey is unique is an understatement. This 108-proof Kentucky straight bourbon dubbed the "Samurai Edition" begins with a mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. Originating at the renowned Bardstown Bourbon Company, it's first matured in charred white American oak barrels before being finished in rare Japanese Mizunara oak casks previously used to age Shochu.

Read more