{"id":563564,"date":"2026-02-03T15:26:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T15:26:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/563564\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T15:26:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T15:26:12","slug":"san-diego-breweries-help-fans-earn-their-beer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/563564\/","title":{"rendered":"San Diego breweries help fans earn their beer"},"content":{"rendered":"

By far the loudest ovation at last year\u2019s San Diego Beer News Awards<\/strong><\/a> ceremony \u2013 an event that always features plenty of energetic crowd participation \u2013 was when the winner of the Nate Soroko Community Impact Award was announced. While all of the several hundred attendees applauded for recipient Shade Hartline<\/strong>, a large group off to the left side of the stage erupted, cheering, pumping their fists, and jumping up and down on rather well sculpted calves. Their war cry? \u201cOn a Monday!\u201d (Keep in mind, the event took place on a Tuesday.)<\/p>\n

Hartline isn\u2019t a brewer or even an employee at any of the county\u2019s beer companies. He was being recognized for co-founding a Monday night run club with Seek Beer Co.<\/strong><\/a> When the Seek Running Club launched, the entire group fit easily in the brewery\u2019s small taproom at North Park\u2019s Craft by Brewery Igniter <\/strong>facility. Now group photos need to be snapped on the expansive outdoor patio, as runs regularly include well over 100 individuals united by a shared hobby and the camaraderie that comes with a post-run beer.<\/p>\n

\"SeekPhoto: Seek Beer Co.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have had successful run clubs at previous breweries I\u2019ve worked for, so I was aware of how a brewery can serve as a community hub where the shared struggle of a 5K race builds bonds quicker than sitting quietly at a bar ever could,\u201d says Seek owner and brewer Dave Ohmer <\/strong>(who has since teamed with his wife, Niki<\/strong>, to run the Seek Beer Club<\/strong>). \u201cIf you think about the general stereotypes of beer-drinkers and runners, there\u2019s not a lot of overlap, but in reality, that just isn\u2019t true. I\u2019ve met several people throughout my time in the industry who are also exercise enthusiasts, whether it\u2019s running, cycling or rock-climbing. For physically active runners, a brewery run club provides a familiar and safe environment to explore that hobby.\u201d<\/p>\n

Run Clubs also provide a fun environment, especially for those whose interests include exercise, local beer and, perhaps, making some new friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoining a run club is a great way to stay fit and be social with like-minded people,\u201d says Louis Teng<\/strong>, Retail Manager at Stone Brewing<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s Point Loma bar and restaurant, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens \u2013 Liberty Station<\/strong>, where he recently started a run club that has quickly taken off. \u201cBy meeting up on a regular basis, you\u2019ll eventually get to know your fellow runners.\u201d<\/p>\n

An avid runner who competes in several races and half-marathons annually, Teng first learned about run clubs while working as a cellarman and beertender at Carlsbad\u2019s Rouleur Brewing<\/strong>. A regular told him about a Wednesday night club operating out of Pizza Port<\/strong>\u2019s nearby headquarters in Bressi Ranch. Teng gave it a shot and greatly enjoyed the \u201csuper-chill\u201d vibe and a hilly, challenging route that eliminated any would-be guilt about post-run pints. After getting hired by Stone, he worked through the proper channels to set up a Wednesday-night run club at his workplace. In doing so, he was influenced by the numerous breweries whose clubs he had participated in over the years.<\/p>\n

\"StonePhoto: Stone Brewing<\/p>\n

\u201cThe local run groups I have come across are pretty diverse, with varying age ranges and fitness levels. Each manages things in their own way, but I think we all share some common goals: staying active and enjoying each other\u2019s company over a pint,\u201d says Teng. \u201cFor the Liberty Station Run Club, I do an intro with an ice-breaker question before we start. I want everyone to feel welcome, regardless of who they are and what their fitness goals are.\u201d<\/p>\n

While still in its early stages, the success of Teng\u2019s four-month-old club has inspired him to take things a step further by putting together a special event. On Saturday, January 31<\/strong>, he will lead a 9.3-mile (15K) round-trip run starting at Stone\u2019s Liberty Station location, heading to the Stone Brewing Taproom<\/strong> at the intersection of Kettner Boulevard <\/strong>and B Street <\/strong>in downtown San Diego, then back.\u00a0Half-off Stone beers will be available to runners after the run is completed.<\/p>\n

When asked about the common misconception that beer and exercise don\u2019t mix, Teng says the body needs rehydrating after a workout and that beer can help with that. Ohmer agrees, citing recent studies which show that moderate-ABV (alcohol-by-volume) beer in the 4 to 5 percent range contains electrolytes, sodium, minerals and polyphenols that are not found in plain water. In addition to Seek beers that already fit that alcohol range, Ohmer developed an American light lager just for his run club dubbed \u2013 you guessed it \u2013 \u201cOn a Monday\u201d. As one would expect, it\u2019s a favorite of the many club members who have become friends over beers during their cool-down periods.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe social aspect of enjoying a beer after a run is more important now than ever. Many people abandon exercise programs because they feel lonely or bored,\u201d says Ohmer. \u201cA brewery provides a \u2018social reward\u2019 that can turn a chore into a highlight of the week, helping to keep people motivated.\u201d<\/p>\n

That statement rings true at breweries throughout the county which offer the means for both beer and exercise\u2026yes, even \u201con a Monday\u201d.<\/p>\n

Local Brewery Run Clubs<\/p>\n

Culture Brewing<\/strong><\/a> (Solana Beach & Encinitas): Every Monday<\/strong>, runners meet up at Culture\u2019s Solana Beach taproom at 6 p.m.<\/strong> to take on one of several routes. On Tuesdays<\/strong>, runners assemble at Culture\u2019s Encinitas taproom at 6 p.m.<\/strong> for 3-5 mile runs along the Coast Highway and Coastal Rail Trail, passing through downtown Encinitas, Swami\u2019s and Cardiff Beach.<\/p>\n

Seek Beer Co. <\/strong>(North Park): Every Monday<\/strong>, runners meet up at the brewery at 6 p.m.<\/strong>, then embark on a 5K or 10K run on periodically changing routes at 6:15 p.m.<\/strong> Seek also hosts \u201cboomerang\u201d fun-runs on Saturdays<\/strong>, with stops at other neighborhood businesses. Runners check in before each run and earn a t-shirt after 10 runs, and a hat after 25 runs.<\/p>\n

Michi Brew Co.<\/strong><\/a> (San Marcos): Every Tuesday<\/strong>, runners meet at the brewery at 6 p.m.<\/strong>, where Run North County<\/strong> leads 3.5-, 4- and 5-mile routes for all levels of runners and walkers. Their motto is \u201cno one left behind\u201d.<\/p>\n

Pure Project Brewing<\/strong><\/a> (Carlsbad): On Tuesday<\/strong>, OMG<\/strong> (Oceanside Multisport Group) leads a 6-mile run along the coast and Carlsbad Boardwalk, allowing participants to run two, four or six miles of the route.<\/p>\n

Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens \u2013 Liberty Station <\/strong>(Point Loma): Every Wednesday<\/strong>, runners meet at the Stone Company Store near the north entrance to the restaurant on Sims Road at 6 p.m.<\/strong> After a 3.25-mile run through Liberty Station and over the Nimitz Bridge, participants receive 50% off beers at the Company Store bar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By far the loudest ovation at last year\u2019s San Diego Beer News Awards ceremony \u2013 an event that…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":563565,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5134],"tags":[5229,5800,7738,116581,245933,22127,167868,1582,276,8737,153772,8315,2576,42025,193210,137973,87847,153776,245934,3549,245935,48789,7264,245936,85004,128247,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-563564","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-awards","10":"tag-beer","11":"tag-brandon-hernandez","12":"tag-bressi-ranch","13":"tag-brewery","14":"tag-brewery-igniter","15":"tag-ca","16":"tag-california","17":"tag-carlsbad","18":"tag-culture-brewing","19":"tag-downtown-san-diego","20":"tag-event","21":"tag-liberty-station","22":"tag-michi-brew","23":"tag-pizza-port","24":"tag-point-loma","25":"tag-pure-project","26":"tag-rouleur-brewing","27":"tag-san-diego","28":"tag-san-diego-beer-news-awards","29":"tag-san-marcos","30":"tag-sandiego","31":"tag-seek-beer","32":"tag-solana-beach","33":"tag-stone-brewing","34":"tag-united-states","35":"tag-united-states-of-america","36":"tag-unitedstates","37":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","38":"tag-us","39":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116007402599748302","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=563564"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563564\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/563565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=563564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=563564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=563564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}