As parents of a young toddler, my husband and I sometimes struggle with attempting to maintain a glimpse of our pre-child life (and sanity!). We take our daughter to a fair share of kid centric activities, such as Saturday morning music class, Madison Children’s Museum, the zoo (ok, we’d go to the zoo without a child), etc., but sometimes we just want to hang out and “relax” with a beer.
Luckily, here in Madison, local breweries abound, and we definitely take advantage of them from time to time. I personally find the atmosphere in a brewery a bit more conducive to bringing a kiddo than your standard bar. For one, there’s often more space; and second, the vibe seems to be a bit more for the social experience of trying a new stout or IPA. Here are some of my tips if you decide to brave the brewery and bring along your baby or young child.
Bring entertainment and snacks
I always try to pack a good selection of toys, especially ones that are a. wipeable/washable and b. won’t be a nuisance if slung around or dropped repeatedly. Also, bringing your own food may be a faux pas for the adult set, but essential when trying to bribe (er, feed) an antsy toddler.
Thank your bartenders
We try our best not to leave the floor a total mess, but crumbs and spills happen. We always thank the waitstaff, and also aim to tip better than usual, especially if our kiddo has dropped 30 Puffs on the floor.
Location is key
We visit breweries with good indoor space in the winter, and outside space in the summer. Our favorite breweries for outside space are definitely New Glarus Brewing (lots of green space and areas to explore), Wisconsin Brewing Company (yard games), and Capital Brewery (covered patio area). Wisconsin Brewing has a fairly large inside space as well for winter time. They also allow dogs, which is a plus or minus depending on your kiddo.
Make a day of it
If we have a few hours to spend and it’s a nice day, we try to plan an outing to a park or trail before/after the brewery. New Glarus Woods State Park is less than 2 miles from New Glarus Brewing, and Badger Prairie Park is near to both Wisconsin Brewing Company and Hop Haus Brewing Company in the Verona area.
Fun non-brewery options include a visit Olbrich Botanical Gardens and then The Biergarten at Olbrich Park, which also has yard games for the kiddos. Of course, you can always go with our old standard of Wisconsin Union Memorial Terrace with a walk on the Lakeside Trail, or even an adventure to Picnic Point.
If you want to go for a day trip outside the Madison area, head to Sheboygan, WI and visit 3 Sheeps Brewing Company, and Kohler-Andrae State Park (which is where our daughter first put her feet in Lake Michigan last summer).
What are your favorite breweries to bring your kiddos?
