It was early on a snowy Sunday afternoon at Modist Brewing Co. in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A historic winter storm had dumped 20 inches onto the city, clearing out grocery stores and closing some businesses. The roads were passable, however, so while flurries blew around outside, inside the brewery things were hopping.
Among the clinking of glasses and adult conversation, a bulldog and a terrier-mix sniffed introductions to each other while along the street-facing windows, a few toddlers were sitting in a circle playing with blocks and a ball. The place had a jovial mood as parents, happy to be released from the confines of the house, sipped on pastry stouts and lagers, and kids explored new terrain.
The growth of breweries and taprooms in the United States has brought on new phenomena and challenges. One that seems to be getting a lot of attention—both good and bad—these days is the topic of kids in a brewery. Those who support the practice are usually parents and grandparents who were visiting breweries long before the kiddos came along and see no problem in taking their kids to a community space. The other side of the coin is people who say kids have no place in a brewery and that if parents want to be out and have a drink, there are plenty of restaurants where that’s just fine—just not where it’s made.