It’s not often running and drinking are used in the same sentence, unless you’re talking about a fan drinking a nice cold one watching Jermaine Kearse running up the sideline.

On Sept. 26, however, that is going to change as runners and beer enthusiasts alike will be hitting the streets of Poulsbo for the Poulsbo Beer Run.

The description of the run is simple: four miles, four breweries, with a beer at each. Upon signing up and paying their entrance fee, runners begin at their home brewery, enjoying a beer, before running the mile to the next brewery and so on. All this while dressing up per the run’s theme. This run’s theme? Oktoberfest.

Originally, the triangle of breweries in Poulsbo formed the course of this run: Slippery Pig, Sound and Valhöll. After seeing how big a success it was, Silver City Brewery of Silverdale decided to join the team and set up shop at Envy Bar and Grill, adding a fourth pit stop to the event. This year, Envy will be offering three different brews from Silver City: Oktoberfest Lager, Ridgetop Red Ale and Saint Florian IPA.

And to think it all started with a simple task that needed to be done by Dave and Shawna Lambert of Slippery Pig Brewery.

Slippery Pig Brewery

“When it first started, we had an errand to run at Sound Brewery so we ran there,” said owner and head brewer Dave Lambert. “Then we thought ‘Hey, we should run to Valhöll, see what’s going on there.’ ”

The Slippery Pig has been a part of Poulsbo since 2011, originally serving the community out of a barn on Slippery Pig Way off of Finn Hill Road, until the brewery moved to it’s current location on Front Street.

The new Slippery Pig opened in June 2014, and, as Lambert described it, “is way nicer and easier to keep clean.”

“I home brewed for a lot of years,” he said. “A few of the beers, my friends told me, ‘You should look at selling this stuff.’ So we gave it a go. My wife and I are both full time here. We were working second jobs at the beginning, but were able to quit those.”

Shawna Lambert was a co-conspirator behind what became the event known lovingly as the PBR.

“When we were running between breweries, my wife said, ‘I bet other people would like to do this. I bet they would pay to do it. All we have to find a charity.’ ”

And so the PBR was born.

“I think we had 30 runners the first time,” Lambert said.

To get the word out, they hung up posters at the original three breweries involved. Lambert said the goal was to attract people who don’t normally go running, but who enjoy the experience of going to the local breweries.

“There are a lot of really fun runs that mostly attract runners,” he said. “We hoped our run would attract people who don’t run.”

It has since grown into the large gathering that it is today. The event takes place twice a year, one in March around Saint Patrick’s Day and one in September. An average of 125 people sign up to begin at each of the four venues. That’s roughly 500 runners, beer drinkers, dogs and even teenagers (who are given water at each brewery) taking part in this hoopla. 

“On our fourth or fifth run, we ran into a guy who said his buddies dragged him out to do it the first time,” Lambert said. “He told us that because of this run, he had just signed up for a half-marathon. He was like, ‘Thanks guys; I’m 60 pounds lighter and doing this.’

“That’s what we wanted to do, get people who don’t run out here and show, ‘Look, it’s not that hard and it can be a lot of fun.’ ”

Lambert, who describes the event as “an explosion of fun followed by extreme exhaustion,” and his wife both choose a charity that each PBR supports. Charities in the past have included breast cancer and the Blue Star Foundation. This year, all proceeds are being donated to Fishline.

“This was the brain child of Dave and Shawna Lambert over at the Slippery Pig. And I think it has since grown beyond even what they could imagine,” Brad Ginn of Sound Brewery said.

Sound Brewery

Ginn is the head brewer at Sound Brewery, just off of Viking Avenue. Sound has been on the scene for five years now and got started in a similar fashion to Slippery Pig.

“There’s a local home-brew club and there was a situation where two guys said, ‘We’re just going to do it. We’re going to open,’ ” Ginn said. “They found a brewing system with a good price and bought it without any other details.”

However, both men soon realized they didn’t have the time to be a day to day brewer.

“That’s how I got involved,” Ginn said. “I was looking for a change, and so I quit my job to jump into this.

“It has been really fun. Not once have I regretted quitting being a civil engineer and                    becoming a brewer.”

Having been there from the beginning, Ginn has witnessed the birth and growth of the PBR.

“At first, people started at Slippery Pig, only the one location,” he said. “It was fairly small and a lot of fun. Imagine waking up early, drinking a beer, running a mile and doing it again and again. At that time, it was just the triangle of us three breweries.

“Then the next year, so many people wanted to run and there was no room. So, people were able to start at any one of us and we basically chased each other around the loop.”

Ginn has taken part in the running several times, including pushing for the relatively new competitive division that people can sign up for and run for time.

“Initially, I was the only one who cared about time,” he said. “After the first several runs, I finally talked them into a competitive class. Before that I had bragging rights and could claim that I was number one. I came in second the first time there was a competitive class.”

His tale of that epic race is chock full of advice for those competing.

“As a runner, it’s like preparing for a triathlon. But, as important as your running capabilities are your drinking capabilities,” he said. “The year I came in second, I started at Sound and was fourth in at the Slippery Pig, but I was the first out because I drank my beer fast.”

Ginn then goes on to tell you how this other runner beat him to Valhöll, but, again, Ginn was the first one out to head back to Sound.

“I passed Shawna from the Slippery Pig on my way back, we were crossing paths, and I said, ‘Hey, if you see that fast guy, trip him,’ “ Ginn said. “I don’t think she did because he passed me and ended up beating me by about 20 seconds.”

The physical race is far less important to Ginn than the camaraderie the event brings amongst the brewers and community.

“All of us brewers know each other since before we all had breweries,” Ginn said. “It’s synergistic. We don’t compete with each other because we all bring in people who go to the others.”

Rachel Dodge, who works at Sound, added, everyone who works at the brewery all drink at the others, and vise versa.

“It’s a small community and all the brewers in that community are friends,” Elijah Roulst of Valhöll Brewery said. “We help each other out, support the other local breweries. There is different beer for everyone down here.”

Valhöll Brewery

Valhöll completes the triangle of breweries in downtown Poulsbo, and the original venues of the Poulsbo Beer Run.

“A lot of fun early in the morning. Grab and go, drinking and running, what else could you want?” Ivan Evasick said.

Roust and Evasick both work at Valhöll. Where Roust delivers and Evasick sells, their third best friend has now taken over the head brewing position from his father.

“I work with two of my best friends from high school, who I’ve known since kindergarten,” Evasick said. “It’s cool to be able to take the friendship to a working relationship.”

Valhöll has one of the most interesting back stories, arguably of any brewery. Having once been a library that was in strong support of the prohibition, Jeff Holcomb converted his childhood hangout to the thriving brewery it is today.

“It’s funny to hear Jeff tell stories about coming to the library as a kid, checking out books in that corner and going to read by where the fermenters are,” Evasick said.

Valhöll has been around since 2010. It originally opened up two-and-a-half miles north of its current location on 3rd Ave and worked out of a garage.

“There would be 10-gallon, 16-hour brew days to keep up with the demand,” Evasick said. “You could be in on a Tuesday or Wednesday and be standing shoulder to shoulder. Just shows the great quality of beer that we had, never compromised the quality. Even in higher volumes.”

The wood used in the brewery is recycled wood from Indianola. The bar is recycled barn wood from Suquamish. The barrels used as stools are old brewing barrels. Everything has a story, including the name.

“In Nordic mythology there are nine heavens, one of which being Valhalla,” Evasick said.

History is rich in Little Norway. Combining the old stories the breweries bring to the area with a new twist is exactly what the PBR does. And preparation for such an event is key.

“When you compare it to an average day of waitressing or bar tending, this is a banquet,” Evasick said. “Everything is planned out. We prepare so we are ready for a free flow, constantly moving the line.”

“You don’t want to hold up the runners, especially in the competitive edition,” Roust said. “Beer is pretty much essential to running, if you ask me.”

…

So maybe running and beer drinking belong together in more ways than simply watching the Seahawks. It brings people together in good spirits and times of jubilee.

And the timing of this Poulsbo Beer Run is, what some people like to call, perfect. It’s a day to celebrate in between celebrations.

“We’re just getting over summer, school is starting, everyone’s back to work, Labor Day has passed and here is a weekend to celebrate and have a little fun,” Evasick said.

And craft beer in this town should be celebrated. With the triad of breweries in Poulsbo, as well as Silver City right down the way, there’s a beer for any one of legal age. Valhöll also has it’s own root beer that has been handcrafted by its head brewer.

Not only do they provide something for everyone, but the breweries in Poulsbo are also an integral part of the Little Norway community.

“The breweries here employ people,” Ginn said. “They’re recession proof. We opened during the big recession. And even though we aren’t quite on Viking Ave., we have brought a lot of traffic to the area.

“When we first opened Ford was empty, Poulsbo RV was empty and now there are all these businesses in these formerly-empty commercial properties. Breweries are definitely an economic driver for things beyond beer.”

Which brings us back to the Poulsbo Beer Run on Sept. 26. With hundreds of runners taking part in the event, supporting local business and donating to a great cause, it’s safe to say craft beers are definitely something to be celebrated in this community.

The Kitsap BlueJackets donated a keg of its pale ale to Envy to sell pints at a dollar a drink, with those profits also being donated to Fishline. Local restaurants in the area are promoting the event with coasters and signs in windows. Each brewery is also accepting non-perishable donations during the event. Example like this show how important these businesses are to the community we live in.

“There is support in the community for craft brewing,” Roulst said. “There is a love for each other and for beer overall. The support makes it an awesome spot to go to, the culture, the quality, the mindset you get here.”