Forget going to the bar after the gym: These local breweries are bringing the workout to the bar. Whether you prefer to seek nirvana around fermentation tanks, bust a few burpees in a production room, or race for a fresh beer, there’s something for nearly everyone. Cheers to that.
Port City Brewing Co.
Cost: Joggers and Lagers, free; Pedals’N’Pints, free; BeerYoga, $20
This award-winning outpost in Alexandria offers an array of fitness options. At Joggers and Lagers, held on Mondays at 7 p.m., runners pick their preferred loop—one, three or five miles—at free weekly meetups by Pacers Running. (A headlamp or flashlight is recommended during the winter months as some the route is unlit.) Pedals’N’Pints, another free meetup, heads out every other Saturday morning to bike either a 10- or 30-mile route, before returning to the brewery. (The start time varies, so check online or call to inquire.) Joggers and cyclists are invited to purchase a beer ($5-$7) after. BeerYoga, an hourlong class taught by instructor Melody Abella, meets every other Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the beer garden, which offers views of the bottling line. Advance registration is recommended, and a post-workout beer is included, but you’ll need to bring a yoga mat and water bottle. And yogis be warned: The brewhouse isn’t climate-controlled, so dress appropriately for the season. “We don’t advertise it as Bikram yoga in the summer, but some days it can be pretty sweaty,” says Emma Quinn, Port City’s events manager.
3950 Wheeler Avenue, Alexandria
Right Proper Brewing Co.
Cost: $15
Head to Right Proper in Brookland at noon on the second Saturday of every month for Cheers & Namah’ste. Instructor Ramona Leigh leads an hourlong yoga class designed for all levels—and you’re encouraged to sip on your flight of three beers between poses, so show up 15 minutes early to make sure you get your brews. Tap offerings include such beers as the Berliner weisse Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne; and Baron Corvo Cuvée 2, which is aged in a mixture of bourbon, rum, and apple brandy barrels. The class is held in the production area, which isn’t climate-controlled. Pre-registration online is recommended as space in the brewery is limited, and don’t forget a yoga mat and water bottle.
920 Girard St. NE
DC Brau
Cost: Free ($15 donation suggested)
Fitness instructor Gitanjali Daryani leads Bootcamp and Brews with G Moves at noon on the first Sunday of the month. It’s a 50-minute bodyweight workout (think squats and burpees and the like), and you can replenish those glycogen stores with a free post-workout beer. Current taproom offerings include several flagship beers and such limited releases as Wings of Armageddon, a double IPA. Tasting room manager Alan Lefebre says he usually points folks to “something light” after a workout—such as Brau Pils or Joint Resolution, a hazy IPA. The $15 suggested donation this month benefits Thrive DC, a nonprofit that works to end homelessness. Sign up online, and bring a yoga mat and water bottle.
3178 Bladensburg Rd. NE
Flying Dog Brewery
Cost: 10K, $55; 0.1k, $30
Love oysters and love running? You’ll find both at Flying Dog’s Sprint for Spat on Nov. 2. (Spat is a baby oyster.) It’s a series of running events that benefit the Oyster Recovery Project, a nonprofit that works to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay’s oyster population. The 10K steps off at 9 a.m. The beer mile at noon—a relay in which one intrepid runner from a team of four consumes a Doggie Style pale ale every quarter-mile—is already sold out. Both races include a post-run beer and entrance to the 0.1K (aka 100 meters) at 2 p.m., a sprint that includes an oyster shooter at the halfway point. The briny mollusk is paired with bloody Mary mix, but how do you ensure it stays down mid-race? “Don’t chew, just swallow,” advises Kristin Hanna, Flying Dog’s brewery experience director. Just want to take it all in (and see how the runners stomach their oysters)? Spectator tickets are $10; live music starts at 2:45 p.m. Sixteen beers will be on tap, including the newly released Hidden Pickle gose. It’s a 21-and-up event, so be prepared to flash ID to get in.
4607 Wedgewood Blvd., Frederick, Md.
