Do Kids Belong in Breweries?

It’s really up to the parents and the establishment, and the opinions of everyone else shouldn’t really matter.

Fact checked by Sarah ScottFact checked by Sarah Scott

I don’t drink beer, so when my husband suggested we check out a local brewery for a family lunch outing, I was skeptical. Spoiler alert: This very brewery is now a go-to lunch spot for my family.

Our kids love the “cool” space and the chicken nuggets (off the kids’ menu, it should be stated). There are always plenty of other children there, and it makes perfect sense why.

Breweries may not sound particularly family-friendly in name, but many of them tend to have elements that make parents feel right at ease: They’re often casual, spacious, and boast open outdoor areas.

Many of them even have kids’ menus, or at the very least kid-friendly food options, and some even have games or activities for kids specifically. Even for parents like me, who drink water (okay, fine, Diet Coke) rather than beer, they’re fun places to spend a weekend afternoon, especially on a nice, sunny day.

The Internet Has Major Opinions About Kids At Breweries

One TikTok user (@clarice.burkett), for example, recorded a rant about this very topic. "Why are we bringing children to breweries?" she begins her video. The user, who does not have children of her own, goes on to make some valid points: She admits some breweries do have more of a family-friendly feel, and that it’s fine (in her eyes) for parents to take their kids to those establishments (though to be clear, it’s not really her decision to make).

She goes on to share a story. When the TikToker asked if the brewery she frequents has any yard games, the bartender told her, “We did have corn hole, but we no longer had it because the kids destroyed it.”

Again, valid. Kids shouldn’t be “destroying” anything, especially not in a public place, and it’s on parents to make sure this isn’t happening. But at the same time, plenty of adults (especially drunk adults) are loud, destructive, disruptive, etc. We’d never hear anyone suggesting keeping, say, 20-somethings away from an establishment based on this, though.

Some agree with this take.

“I have kids but I hate seeing children [in] adult spaces. Not everything is for everyone. I don't want to be out having [an] adult conversation hearing kids screaming,” one commenter writes.

Others see it differently. “Such an American take. I traveled all over the UK. Pubs in the UK welcome families and there are no issues with kids being around,” another user comments. I tend to agree—why is America so obsessed with “kid” spaces and “adult” spaces?

“Because your life doesn’t have to end when you have kiddos. I do it.” says another.

Ultimately, as I see it, that’s what this whole “kids in breweries” debate is all about. This is a very American idea that when you have children, you should stay home, or, if you leave the house, it should be to only go to the zoo or the park or the kids’ section of your local library.

Parents Are Criticized No Matter What

Hire a babysitter so you can swing by your local brewery sans kids? It “must be nice” to be able to afford that, but “why did you have kids if you’re not going to spend your weekends with them?”

Take your kid along and let them get up and explore the space? Your child is “ruining the experience” for everyone else.

Allow your kid to quietly watch a show on an iPad in public? You’re raising a child with a technology addiction and you’re—say it with me now—“a horrible parent”.

There’s truly no winning in the court of public opinion when you have children.

Plenty of breweries represent spaces where parents can do something they enjoy—like eat good food, socialize, and maybe responsibly enjoy a drink, if that’s what they choose—in an environment that feels family-friendly, at least by American standards.

And look, I get it: If there’s a brewery that only serves beer, or feels decidedly more bar-like, it’s probably not going to be a great place for parents to take their kids. And yes, obviously, kids shouldn’t be running around while servers are trying to navigate a space with breakable glasses in their hands. That’s an obvious safety risk.

Speaking of safety risks, nobody should be driving kids around after drinking, as some comments on this TikTok point out. Although, there doesn’t seem to be much concern regarding non-parents getting behind the wheel after a few drinks and endangering everyone (including kids) on the road while doing so. Funny how that works, right? Because in America, there’s no sense of communal responsibility or even tolerance for kids.

A Toast to Being Judgment-Free

No, kids don’t belong in every single space or setting, and it’s healthy for parents to do things without their kids sometimes. Certain breweries are great places for families to spend time, while others may not be.

The bottom line is that parents get to decide what’s appropriate for their kids, and businesses are entitled to have age restrictions. Patrons, on the other hand? They don’t get to demand child-free spaces on airplanes, in restaurants, or even in breweries.

How can we expect kids to learn how to navigate the world when we only allow them into specific parts of it? How can we tell parents not to “lose themselves” to parenthood when they’re also told—often by people who have never actually raised humans themselves—that they should stop doing all the things they enjoy, or only do these things while their kids are in someone else’s care?

In another thread on this very subject, a poster called out the “immaturity and entitlement of millennial parents” saying “[T]hey're not getting a babysitter, so breweries better figure it out for them…It is sad that it feels less like craft beer culture when you walk into a taproom and more like sliding into the pleather booth at an Applebee's.”

Because the idea of smoothing out the distinction between kids' spaces and adult spaces is just *horrifying*, right?

But one commenter takes the other side of the debate, saying: “I'm very firmly in the camp of, ‘Mind your own business.’ A taproom is not a bar. It's often a welcoming place with food and non-alcoholic beverages on the menu…If I go anywhere -- a restaurant, a ball game, an airplane (all of which serve alcohol, btw) -- I'm at the collective will of the masses. There may be crying, unruly kids. There may be drunk adults tossing around f-bombs. I'd much prefer the former, to be honest.”

This person perhaps sums it up best.

“Here's the easiest way to look at it (for me): some children are better behaved than some of the adults that frequent taprooms. If well-behaved and respectful to the establishment and environment, being two years old, 52 years old, or 102 years old shouldn't matter.”

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