Enjoy Brewers Row. Watch a bike race

Get ready for plenty of sprockets, skinny tires, and strong legs in Charleston, WV, this week. View it all from Brewers Row.

Starting Monday, May 19, and running through Monday, May 26, streets and roads in and around the city will be taken over by 2025 USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships.

Various divisions of men, women and junior cyclists from across the country will compete for medals and coveted national championships along with qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Brewers Row comes alive

For small and independent brewery lovers, the best place to watch the bike races—with a beer in hand—will be Thursday and Friday evenings along Brewers Row on the 100 block of Summers Street downtown. Two evenings of fast paced criterium races are in store as riders shoot by the breweries doing their laps on the downtown race loop. Races begin at 6:30 p.m.

Check out the beers

In honor of the bike races, Ross Williams, head brewer at Bad Shepherd Beer Co., brewed up a special race week beer called the Bridge Rhoadie Cream Ale. 

“This straw-golden cream ale is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.” says Ross.

He explains that the beer is “Inspired by the cycling events, and by how much fun we all had when they were going on in town last year.” 

Bridge Rhoadie Cream Ale showcases crisp cracker flavors and bright, mild hops. Coming in at 5.1% ABV, it’s perfect for a sunny day, an outside adventure, for enjoying after a good, hard hike or day on the bike.

Beyond the Cream Ale, Bad Shepherd also has a bunch of other tasty drafts on tap at the brewery.

Fife does a Radler

While on Brewers Row this week, you can also find a race week features at Fife Street Brewing. Gil Peterson, Fife’s head brewer, believes customers can’t go wrong by ordering Fife’s special beer entry for the USA Cycling championships. Their Sticky Bottle Radler should hit the spot.

The Radler style developed in Germany as a refreshing and restorative beverage for cyclists and spectators alike. Fife’s take on Radler begins as a its Hefeweizen brew that is then blended with grapefruit purees to produce a citrusy, refreshing twist on the regular Hefe.

Fife just celebrated its 3rd anniversary last Saturday. And, if there is any left, snag a glass of their special anniversary beer: Sternwheeler Stout. It is a bourbon-barrel-aged imperial stout. Otherwise, try an easy-drinking Charleston Beer or any one of their other standard ales, and then enjoy the races.

Short Story Brewing spins lager for race day

At Short Story Brewing Charleston their taps are always full of tasty IPAs, lagers, and specialties. Bar manager Heather Dunkin tells us that this week’s featured beer is a low ABV (4.4%) rice lager called Half Moon Stance. This light Japanese-style lager gets its name from a martial arts stance.

As the brewery’s first ever Rice Lager, they describe Half Moon Stance as having a soft body with palate notes of bloomed jasmine, tangerine, and dry finish. Yum. Could be the perfect beer for springtime bicycle race watching.

At the Short Story taproom on Saturday evening (5/24), Duo Fields at will take the stage from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Some of you may remember Devin Fields (who is half of this duet along with his father, Scott) from his days slinging beers at the local Pies & Pints. Devin is now working at Northern Row brewery in Cincinnati.

Ask for the PODA Cup

All Brewers Row breweries offer great views of the race venue — and by ordering your beer in the PODA cup, you can take it right out to the sidewalk, where you can actually sniff the breeze off the passing cyclists.

If hunger pangs hit you during the races, any of the breweries can solve that problem.

• Bad Shepherd features modern-style burritos and tacos.
• Fife Street does gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches so well.
• Short Story brings you a delicious menu of Lefty’s Detroit-style pizza.

For a schedule of bike race events and other related things click this link: Pro Road Nationals

Enjoy Local Beer. Watch a great bike race.
Have a good time. Please drink responsibly.