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4216 NE Minnehaha St., Suite 108, Vancouver, Wash., 360-989-3912, ghostrunnersbrewery.com. 4-9 pm Thursday, 3-9 pm Friday, 2:30-7:30 pm Saturday
If you can have a Prohibition-themed bar, why not a marathoner-themed brewery? It turns out ghost running has nothing to do with baseball; it's apparently the point you reach after running so long your mind leaves your body. The owners here are marathoners themselves, and every single beer is themed on long-distance running, from a 5K IPA to a Cross Country Red Kölsch. Our bartender on a Saturday seemed a little apologetic he'd never run a full course himself. The brewery has been kicking around for a couple years, but just moved into a new production space this fall, a concrete bunker tucked so deep in a central Vancouver industrial park you might lose faith en route, before spotting a little sign pointing the way. Within, it's outfitted like an Army base rec room, with pingpong and a miniature pool table. Still, the best beer here doesn't lend itself to much physical activity. The toffee-rich Boston Irish Red would weigh you down, as would a roasty Negative Split Stout. The lighter beers, like the IPAs, are a little out of shape so far. As they say, it's not how you start the race, but how you finish.
Drink This: You will never run the Boston Marathon. But you should drink the Boston Irish Red Ale.
Willamette Week