There is an ongoing debate about whether or not it’s kosher to bring babies and children to bars, taprooms, and breweries.
Some argue that “Bars are for adults, not children,” as an enraged Yelper told The New York Times in 2012 after the opening of South Slope’s Greenwood Park, which opened their doors to children.
But Jeremy Danner, a specialist and brand ambassador for the 4 Hands Brewing Company, has a different take on bringing young people to bars.
“[W]e teach them that alcohol isn’t something that we talk about, or something that we do,” says Danner to Vox. “And then they don’t have any exposure to responsible consumption, and we wonder why kids go off to college and freak out and binge-drink — instead of realizing that it is possible for a responsible adult to have a couple of beers and not have it be ‘drink to get drunk’ every time.”
Danner suggests that drinking beer is becoming a more thoughtful way to consume alcohol rather than just going out for the sake of drinking. Therefore, the focus is not just alcohol, but the entire experience. Not to mention, it’s good for business to allow parents to be able to enjoy a drink when they can’t find a sitter.
The general consensus seems to be that as long as the parents are keeping it cool and aren’t intoxicated and they leave nighttime for the grown-ups to play; it’s actually a great way to get out of the house and let the whole family socialize.