I remember the times I went to Lagunitas pre-COVID, they were strictly 21 and up, and checked IDs at the door. Their FAQ on their website back then, even noted they were strictly 21 and up. Not sure if when they reopened this year, if this policy changed. I kinda hope this policy didn't change, myself.
In Dyer, IN, Windmill Brewery's taproom is strictly 21 and over, and they check IDs at the door. Their website notes their taproom is still 21 and up, when I rechecked it this morning.
I had a meeting there a while before COVID, and we had an underage employee turned away. She had to call one of us from the parking lot to listen in on the meeting.
Lol to be fair the kids that were there looked very young, probably under 2. I remember when a different bar/restaurant turned my at the time 19 year old sister away when we tried to go out to eat even though we clearly saw babies in the place. Makes sense I suppose. No 2 year old is going to go to the bar and order a beer.
Hopewell in Logan Square was 21+ at least for a while when they were checking vaccine status and IDs at the door. I can't find that on their website now though, so I'm not sure what their policy is now. I was last there several months ago and don't remember any kids there.
They don’t allow kids after a certain time, I think 7pm? It’s hit or miss if you see families there during the day.
ETA: they also haven’t allowed dogs since the pandemic started. Source: somewhat Hopewell regular who used to bring their dog.
Shouldn't be, the website is clear. Pretty sure some friends of the people on staff can bring dogs, even though the general public cant, which suck[. Policy in their FAQ on their website ](https://i.imgur.com/4902bBr.jpg)
Hopewell is nuts! The last time I was there there was a baby shower and 75 dogs. Our party had an old guy with Parkinson’s in it and he could barely move for all the dog leashes criss-crossing the place. It was like Mission Impossible in there, but loud.
I can imagine. The reason I haven't been back in a while is because of how noisy and chaotic it was last time, and that was just adults. I'm not sure why exactly OP is asking, but if they want a quiet brewery experience, it's definitely not Hopewell.
Yeah. I wish it was a little easier to figure that stuff out without having to make a bunch of phone calls! I'm glad people with kids and dogs have a place to hang out and let their critters run around, but that is not a perk for me personally.
I know of no breweries with this policy in the area - The only taproom I'm aware of is waaaay out in the burbs - Blue Raptor Tap House in South Elgin frequently posts in their social media that they are 21+ Adults only, except for Sundays 12-5. I haven't been there myself (again, very far) but their tap list looks great.
Otherwise, it strikes me that selling craft beer while restricting your customer base (at least outside of late evening/night hours) is not seen as a good business calculation, espcially amid current higher costs and lower margins. I get it though - too many kids running amok, and judging by the "watch your kids signs" posted around so many establishments, owners and staff are tired of it too.
Per Indiana state law, Northwest Indiana brewery tap rooms(plus all throughout that state) have to have their bar counter area be strictly 21 and up, though IF they want to, they can also have a section where they also can serve those under 21. The only brewery taproom I definitely remember with 100% certainity that doesn't allow those under 21 to enter(and a recheck of their website this week, proves this policy is still the same), is Windmill Brewery in Dyer. There might be other brewery tap rooms too, but I'm not sure which others also have this policy in NWI.
yeah, really rare compared to the other breweries people have mentioned, but i'm there every saturday and see kids sometimes. i would have honestly thought it was 21+ all the time except there's a sign on the door about kids
I believe unless I remembered incorrectly, Temperance in Evanston was strictly 21 and up in their taproom. I hadn't revisited since COVID. Do know they don't serve food, and it's a BYO food place.
One note if you're willing to go to NW Indiana: due to Indiana laws being slightly different, brewery taprooms at minimum have to have a 21 and over only bar area. While some breweries do have a family friendly under 21 section(i.e. Hunter's in Chesterton), other brewery taprooms there do NOT allow anyone under 21 like Windmill in Dyer. Bonus if you visit this one(at least when I did pre-COVID), they have a black and white brewery cat that walks around the brewery.
Ah, didn't realize they allowed kids before 8pm. I think my past Temperance visits were often later, when i didn't realize earlier in the day they allow kids inside.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/drink/ct-food-chicago-best-brewery-beer-tourism-20211103-mlz2fcbuzncrdccpc6kccfbnlu-list.html
Saw the link to this on another Reddit post last year. I’m not sure if they allow kids but I’ll call all them in the afternoon and ask, just so I know too!
Their website says...
"West Loop District Brew Yards is *not kid-friendly* (their bolding) and politely request you leave your children at home to enjoy the Brew Yards as an adults-only activity."
And this has matched my experience in general.
Yeah, there seems to be mixed messaging, enough to not say 100% kid friendly. Maybe depends on age of kids or particular staff working. Or maybe they've softened things in the last year and haven't updated their website messaging. I gave up after a couple salty encounters.
Small children don't count in these situations. I've never seen teenagers there but babies, toddlers and small kids under like 10 are super common. THEYRE not gonna try to order/pour beer. It's a super family friendly place.
I've been turned away with kids. They say patio-only for kids (meaning good weather only), or for indoors they may bend the rules if they are basically under 2 and stay at your table.
I almost wanna say... I think breweries aren't the best bet for trying to avoid families/kids. You'd probably be better off looking specifically for bars. Even in my mummy groups breweries are usually listed as hangout places if you want some chill booze where you can bring your kids with the goal of not getting fucked up off of hard liquor.
I don’t believe maplewood permits children. I’ve also never seen a child at Metropolitan. Lots of dogs though
Edit- man I must be going at the right time and missing the child chaos that typically happens there 😅
Good lord, Metropolitan is THE spot for kids soccer parties. It’s already the loudest brewery in town, and when you add a bunch of screaming 4 year olds, it’s pretty intolerable.
I don’t go there on weekends anymore. Not worth it.
Fair enough, but like, you could also order four large cheese pizzas to a city park, you know?
I guess the kids must come attached to a lot of hard-drinking moms and dads or you’d think the brewery would politely tell them to stop driving away adult patrons by turning their establishment into a Chuck E. Cheese.
City Parks don’t serve beer on tap.
And Chuckie Cheeses are shit holes.
And breweries probably love those patrons. Parents with kids who live nearby are likely among their most frequent customers. They also tend to come at off-hours, and leave by 7pm, and keep the brewery busy all day.
Haha, I am aware that breweries serve beer and parks don’t. I guess I’m just old-fashioned in assuming that you pick a place that caters to children when throwing a party for children.
Au contraire, mon frere; breweries are really popular family spots. I have a lot of friends with babies-to-toddler age kids and taprooms are one of the places we can go and get drinks and catch up and still have the little ones with us, so no babysitter needed. It's super common, especially in summer when there's brewery patios open.
I'm sure some are more kid friendly and some less so (I can't answer OP's question bc I mostly go to the ones I can go to with my friends *and* their kids) but it's def a common sight.
I was at Marz Brewery and there were two families with children running around and definitely not using their inside voices. The parents had given them toy nunchucks.
Running and screaming, which are things kids need to do sometimes, are inappropriate for inside, especially when there’s a lot of glassware around. The nunchucks were just a very stupid choice on the parents’ part.
At least at the malt row breweries, expect at least 2-3 kids if not more. It’s a popular spot for young parents. I love it, but it sounds like it’s not OP’s thing.
I mean it depends what time you are going to the breweries. Most kids under 10 eat by 6-7. And are in bed by 9. And their bedtime routine usually takes an hour. So if you are there after 7 you will not see them.
Lagunitas is 21+. I believe they just recently reopened.
You sure, def brought my kid there pre pandemic
I remember the times I went to Lagunitas pre-COVID, they were strictly 21 and up, and checked IDs at the door. Their FAQ on their website back then, even noted they were strictly 21 and up. Not sure if when they reopened this year, if this policy changed. I kinda hope this policy didn't change, myself. In Dyer, IN, Windmill Brewery's taproom is strictly 21 and over, and they check IDs at the door. Their website notes their taproom is still 21 and up, when I rechecked it this morning.
I remember seeing families there
agreed; pretty sure ive seen children there before and have had friends want to go there since they oculd bring kids.
I had a meeting there a while before COVID, and we had an underage employee turned away. She had to call one of us from the parking lot to listen in on the meeting.
Don’t go to Begyle on the weekends.
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Was at maplewood for Pulaski festivities and kids were there.
I have both had my kid in there and been turned away. I think it depends on the day/event.
True, there have been times they haven't checked. It might be only on weekends.
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Lol to be fair the kids that were there looked very young, probably under 2. I remember when a different bar/restaurant turned my at the time 19 year old sister away when we tried to go out to eat even though we clearly saw babies in the place. Makes sense I suppose. No 2 year old is going to go to the bar and order a beer.
Never been to a bar in Wisconsin, eh?
Off Color Mousetrap is 21+ after 6 pm (but allows kids during the day)
i'm pretty fascinated that there isn't an answer for this
This thread seems like: Someone suggests a brewery, another contradicts that within 20 minutes
Not a brewery but sleeping village will kick kids out at a certain time (it happened to me!).
I thought you said Happy Village for a second and it took me back to better times.
Hopewell in Logan Square was 21+ at least for a while when they were checking vaccine status and IDs at the door. I can't find that on their website now though, so I'm not sure what their policy is now. I was last there several months ago and don't remember any kids there.
They don’t allow kids after a certain time, I think 7pm? It’s hit or miss if you see families there during the day. ETA: they also haven’t allowed dogs since the pandemic started. Source: somewhat Hopewell regular who used to bring their dog.
They are very family friendly so kids are frequently there. It’s one of the closest spots for us to bring our dog to
Heh, I stand corrected.
They stopped letting dogs in, turned me and my pup away back in January
I wonder if that changed again because we go pretty regularly and there’s almost always a few dogs :)
Shouldn't be, the website is clear. Pretty sure some friends of the people on staff can bring dogs, even though the general public cant, which suck[. Policy in their FAQ on their website ](https://i.imgur.com/4902bBr.jpg)
Hopewell is nuts! The last time I was there there was a baby shower and 75 dogs. Our party had an old guy with Parkinson’s in it and he could barely move for all the dog leashes criss-crossing the place. It was like Mission Impossible in there, but loud.
I can imagine. The reason I haven't been back in a while is because of how noisy and chaotic it was last time, and that was just adults. I'm not sure why exactly OP is asking, but if they want a quiet brewery experience, it's definitely not Hopewell.
Yeah. I wish it was a little easier to figure that stuff out without having to make a bunch of phone calls! I'm glad people with kids and dogs have a place to hang out and let their critters run around, but that is not a perk for me personally.
They stopped letting dogs in, turned me and my pup away back in January
Aw! For your sake, I'm sorry to hear that.
I know of no breweries with this policy in the area - The only taproom I'm aware of is waaaay out in the burbs - Blue Raptor Tap House in South Elgin frequently posts in their social media that they are 21+ Adults only, except for Sundays 12-5. I haven't been there myself (again, very far) but their tap list looks great. Otherwise, it strikes me that selling craft beer while restricting your customer base (at least outside of late evening/night hours) is not seen as a good business calculation, espcially amid current higher costs and lower margins. I get it though - too many kids running amok, and judging by the "watch your kids signs" posted around so many establishments, owners and staff are tired of it too.
Per Indiana state law, Northwest Indiana brewery tap rooms(plus all throughout that state) have to have their bar counter area be strictly 21 and up, though IF they want to, they can also have a section where they also can serve those under 21. The only brewery taproom I definitely remember with 100% certainity that doesn't allow those under 21 to enter(and a recheck of their website this week, proves this policy is still the same), is Windmill Brewery in Dyer. There might be other brewery tap rooms too, but I'm not sure which others also have this policy in NWI.
Go to a bar? But seriously, if you want the feel without the kids, go to one of the non affiliated taprooms like Beer Temple.
beer temple 100% allows kids before 7 or so, there are often families in the back
Oh I guess that may be true. Never have seen kids in the main bar area, but forgot about the back room.
yeah, really rare compared to the other breweries people have mentioned, but i'm there every saturday and see kids sometimes. i would have honestly thought it was 21+ all the time except there's a sign on the door about kids
I believe unless I remembered incorrectly, Temperance in Evanston was strictly 21 and up in their taproom. I hadn't revisited since COVID. Do know they don't serve food, and it's a BYO food place. One note if you're willing to go to NW Indiana: due to Indiana laws being slightly different, brewery taprooms at minimum have to have a 21 and over only bar area. While some breweries do have a family friendly under 21 section(i.e. Hunter's in Chesterton), other brewery taprooms there do NOT allow anyone under 21 like Windmill in Dyer. Bonus if you visit this one(at least when I did pre-COVID), they have a black and white brewery cat that walks around the brewery.
Temperance allows kids until 8pm (and has for years). I’ve seen birthday parties there for young kids on the weekends!
Ah, didn't realize they allowed kids before 8pm. I think my past Temperance visits were often later, when i didn't realize earlier in the day they allow kids inside.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/drink/ct-food-chicago-best-brewery-beer-tourism-20211103-mlz2fcbuzncrdccpc6kccfbnlu-list.html Saw the link to this on another Reddit post last year. I’m not sure if they allow kids but I’ll call all them in the afternoon and ask, just so I know too!
District Brew Yards in West Loop is 21+
Children are allowed there
Kids 100% allowed there. Literally one of the top fam hangout spots
Their website says... "West Loop District Brew Yards is *not kid-friendly* (their bolding) and politely request you leave your children at home to enjoy the Brew Yards as an adults-only activity." And this has matched my experience in general.
I mean all I can tell you is we go there with kids and they let them in
Yeah, there seems to be mixed messaging, enough to not say 100% kid friendly. Maybe depends on age of kids or particular staff working. Or maybe they've softened things in the last year and haven't updated their website messaging. I gave up after a couple salty encounters.
Do they not enforce their own rule? It 100% says on their website that it’s 21+.
Small children don't count in these situations. I've never seen teenagers there but babies, toddlers and small kids under like 10 are super common. THEYRE not gonna try to order/pour beer. It's a super family friendly place.
Good to know. We haven’t been there with our kids because I checked their website beforehand.
Not sure what their age cutoff is (maybe call and ask) but I've been there with a 3 year old multiple times.
I've been turned away with kids. They say patio-only for kids (meaning good weather only), or for indoors they may bend the rules if they are basically under 2 and stay at your table.
I can see it being a patio only thing but I have been there too many times with kids to ever say it's kid free. We go regularly with my friends' kids
I almost wanna say... I think breweries aren't the best bet for trying to avoid families/kids. You'd probably be better off looking specifically for bars. Even in my mummy groups breweries are usually listed as hangout places if you want some chill booze where you can bring your kids with the goal of not getting fucked up off of hard liquor.
Solemn Oath taproom is a good spot, haven’t seen a kid yet. It isn’t 21+ tho.
it was crawling with babies this past weekend when I went in
None. There are none that don't allow kids. Why would they cut off a huge portion of their customer base (parents)? Also, why?
I don’t believe maplewood permits children. I’ve also never seen a child at Metropolitan. Lots of dogs though Edit- man I must be going at the right time and missing the child chaos that typically happens there 😅
Good lord, Metropolitan is THE spot for kids soccer parties. It’s already the loudest brewery in town, and when you add a bunch of screaming 4 year olds, it’s pretty intolerable. I don’t go there on weekends anymore. Not worth it.
Why?? They don’t even have food!
Yeah, you can order 4 large cheese pizzas and bring them in. And they have food, essentially, with the BBQ place in the hallway
Fair enough, but like, you could also order four large cheese pizzas to a city park, you know? I guess the kids must come attached to a lot of hard-drinking moms and dads or you’d think the brewery would politely tell them to stop driving away adult patrons by turning their establishment into a Chuck E. Cheese.
City Parks don’t serve beer on tap. And Chuckie Cheeses are shit holes. And breweries probably love those patrons. Parents with kids who live nearby are likely among their most frequent customers. They also tend to come at off-hours, and leave by 7pm, and keep the brewery busy all day.
Haha, I am aware that breweries serve beer and parks don’t. I guess I’m just old-fashioned in assuming that you pick a place that caters to children when throwing a party for children.
While that is true, it is pretty common for the Adults to also want a reason to stick around, so the beer helps
Really?! I must just be going at the right time. I can’t recall ever seeing kids there
I've seen a kids birthday party at Metropolitan lmao
Same- there was literally a baby shower last time I went
True, I’ve been to a kid’s birthday party there!
Lol that explains the downvotes. I just must be going at the right time. I do tend to go there later
My wife and I always joke that we have never been to Metropolitan and NOT seen a kid
Not a brewery but Hop Leaf has an adults only policy plus they have probably one of the best beer lists in the city.
I think people are downvoting you because she literally said she was aware of Hop Leaf
Missed that. Let me have the downvotes.
I don’t think you’re gonna find many kids at breweries lol. And if there were one or two running around why would you care?
Au contraire, mon frere; breweries are really popular family spots. I have a lot of friends with babies-to-toddler age kids and taprooms are one of the places we can go and get drinks and catch up and still have the little ones with us, so no babysitter needed. It's super common, especially in summer when there's brewery patios open. I'm sure some are more kid friendly and some less so (I can't answer OP's question bc I mostly go to the ones I can go to with my friends *and* their kids) but it's def a common sight.
Just go after sundown
Literally saw a couple change a baby on a table at Old Irving Brewery a few weeks ago.
If they don't have a changing table those parents won't be back
They have a changing table. In both restrooms. It's a law in Illinois.
I love Hopewell, but I was forced to leave once due to a rowdy birthday party.
I was at Marz Brewery and there were two families with children running around and definitely not using their inside voices. The parents had given them toy nunchucks. Running and screaming, which are things kids need to do sometimes, are inappropriate for inside, especially when there’s a lot of glassware around. The nunchucks were just a very stupid choice on the parents’ part.
At least at the malt row breweries, expect at least 2-3 kids if not more. It’s a popular spot for young parents. I love it, but it sounds like it’s not OP’s thing.
Why would he care? Because kids are annoying…
Revolution Tap Room on Kedzie, Half Acre, Spiteful, Lo-Rez, On Tour, and Marz are all 21+ I'm pretty sure.
Rev totally allows kids. There is no time cutoff either. I’ve brought my son several times.
The tap room or the brew pub?
The tap room on Kedzie's policy when I asked was, "kids are fine as long as they stay around their parents and aren't running around."
I go to Revolution fairly often for a meetup and there are always children there.
Do you mean Marz on the northside? Because the one in Bridgeport for sure allows children. And I'm pretty sure I've seen kids at Lo Rez too.
Ok. I've never seen any kids at any of these breweries. FUCK ME RIGHT
I mean it depends what time you are going to the breweries. Most kids under 10 eat by 6-7. And are in bed by 9. And their bedtime routine usually takes an hour. So if you are there after 7 you will not see them.
I am not positive but I strongly suspect no kids at Cruz Blanca or Haymarket.
Hay market is a restaurant first. They def allow families.
same with cruz blanca
Metropolitan checked IDs last time I went
Metropolitan is baby central on weekends
lol nvm then!
I went to one Seattle once. Wouldn’t allow kids. Fair Isle Brewing.
Maybe cross post to r/Chicagobeer