Mind. Body. Booze.
Beer has been a boon to our lovely city for almost two centuries.
Beer is a part of many facets of our city. We have good water infrastructure because of the Bud plant, there are many jobs created through the growth of various craft breweries, new build housing is cropping up in places once reserved for industrial space, and breweries are finding more and interesting ways to use the space that they have on hand.
Pretty much every brewery has a taproom inviting you to gather with your friends and have a joyous time. Most breweries in Columbus have an award winning beer to showcase—some even have international renown bringing in curious drinkers from far and wide. Sometimes the beer is just an afterthought, a bonus, to lubricate the social gear works.
All the time, beer gives drinkers just a little extra jolly jiggle … so why not use that spacious taproom for a yoga class before opening?
Why not work out even harder to earn that extra pint?
Seventh Son offers a regular weekly yoga class on Saturdays led by Stephanie Bair-Garant. The brewery recently expanded and has a wealth of open space available before opening hours. The second floor bar boasts a rollback roof and a big, airy room with communal tables during business hours. The slow flow class starts at 10 a.m. on Saturdays and costs $15. Register at SKBGstudio.com.
BrewDog’s original American HQ out in Canal Winchester also offers a yoga class. The production facility ambitiously hopes to supply the greater part of the country soon. Listed as an attraction in Canal Winchester, the brewery has plethora of activities planned throughout the week. A less regularly scheduled class led by Nathan Quick, the initial cost is $15 and with brunch at the brewery included it’s $25.
The confluence of yoga and beer doesn’t end at the brewery level. Yoga is not just about low impact athleticism; one of the most important aspects is community. Yoga Happiness in Clintonville uses the community connections in the neighborhood to build that togetherness. Owner Burgundie Miceli would bring classes down to Quail Crossing Cellars before the winery closed up shop. Now they offer a BYO sharable wine-and-snack event after an hour-long session. Contrasting that, Yoga Happiness also offers a class taught by Colleen Caulfield to “discuss and practice the eight limbs of yoga in relation to the 12 steps of recovery,” concluding on August 12th. Miceli and Caulfield hope to offer it again soon depending on the popularity.
The list of breweries offering yoga classes is way too long to list here, which is also what inspired Trevor Williams of Hoof Hearted Brewing to start the Hoof Hearted Running Club in May 2017.
“At the time, every brewery seemed to be doing yoga brunches, etc. We wanted do some sort of fun physical group activity that was more “Hoofy.” At first we were hot on a semi-serious ‘Karate Club’—still are—but settled on the running club after we coined our motto ‘Expose Yourself to Running.’”
Williams, who has been a casual runner since the late ‘90s, and business partner Jarrod Bichon, an in ultra marathon runner, were inspired by the Mikkeller Running Club in Copenhagen. And of course, by their own oddball, low-brow aesthetic. HH’s vibe can come off as audacious, but Williams, Bichon, and their house artist Thom Lessner, are completely serious about it.
“I think the goal is cross pollinating two things people really passionate about,” Williams said. “We have a good mix of fitness freaks that are casual craft drinkers and super beer geeky casual runners. It’s been a great addition to our brand.”
In fact, Lessner’s killer HHC running club merch rivals the brewery’s general merch in popularity. Wanna join in? Hoof Hearted Running Club is every Wednesday at 6 p.m. It’s a 5K course and the participants receive half-off off all draft beer.
Beer is a great way to bring the community together and it also helps that community grow. Sometimes the road to personal growth is a little bumpier than you’d like, so why not offset it with an hour or so of high-impact activity? Sweat it out, Columbus, and don’t forget to stay hydrated.
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