You may live in an area where you can enjoy a beer garden or rooftop year round. But where I am from, Cincinnati, there are only certain times of the year where the weather is good enough to drink outdoors.
Once spring hits, craft beer fans in my area get ready to head to their local taprooms and take advantage of the outdoor drinking areas. These range from rooftop bars to small patios depending on the brewery. But they all have one thing in common, the ability to completely change the atmosphere of the brewery and drinking experience.
Let’s uncover what you should look for when you want to enjoy craft beer while getting some fresh air.
Seating
Let’s not over think this too much; you need somewhere to sit and enjoy your beer. Most breweries use picnic bench style tables which are more than sufficient in most cases.
Picnic benches provide lots of seating and are communal which helps encourage socializing – which is a good thing.
However, some go a step further and use outdoor couches and chairs to create a more relaxed setting. These spaces are welcoming and start to feel like you are drinking at a friend’s house rather than a brewery. And a relaxed customer is probably more likely to stay a bit longer and enjoy an extra beer or two.
Cover
The sun and I rarely get along – I’ve been known to get sun burnt in the shade. So having a portion of the outdoor space covered is huge deal.
While many want to enjoy the sun while they drink outdoors, there’s also moments when it is just too hot for direct sunlight. Cover also allows the outdoor space to be used when there is rain in the forecast.
And it’s worth mentioning that sunlight isn’t good for beer as hops become light struck – altering their flavor. So let’s protect our skin and beer with the option of a covered outdoor space.
Pets
Have you read my article about Dog In Taprooms? If not, go read that article as it breaks down some of the issues surrounding pets at breweries.
While I am not a fan of dogs and other pets, I would argue that having dogs on the patio seems like a reasonable thing to allow. Many dogs love the outdoors but are kept inside while their owners are at work.
So I advocate for permitting dogs in most outdoor drinking areas. However, I haven’t noticed any other kind of pets at taprooms. Does anyone bring cats, reptiles, or other pets?
If you enjoy bringing your dog with you , make sure you know which breweries all them before heading out. There are many areas that have laws against pets inside the taproom as well as some breweries decide not to permit them.
View
People want to drink outdoors because it’s a great way to enjoy nice weather which taking in some craft beer. This is made even better with a great view.
Once a brewery opens, they really can’t alter the view that they are able to provide. So they have to make the best of what they have.
For that reason, rooftop bars are very popular. Minimally, it provides a unique perspective of the same view. In other situations, it provides a view that truly enhances the drinking experience.
In Cincinnati, Rhinegeist built a rooftop bar as their options for outdoor drinking spaces were limited. Their building is one of the tallest around so it provides a great view of the surrounding urban area.
But it’s not just rooftop areas that provide great views. Other breweries offer views of rivers, lakes, or other natural scenery.
Ease Of Access
One thing that I’ve noticed is not every outdoor space is as customer friendly as others. And this may be the biggest factor on whether a space is good or not.
The outdoor space needs to be be easy to access and should feel like an extension of the taproom. But in some cases it feels out of the way and inconvenient.
In addition, it should have easy access to beer. In a perfect world, you would be able to buy beer without returning to the main taproom space. This isn’t easily achieved by most breweries but for those that do, it’s a huge benefit.
In Cincinnati, MadTree And Rivertown both offer great outdoor spaces with their own bars. Again, this makes it very appealing for customers to stay in that space and relax. And a relaxed customer is a happy one.
Clean Air
Laws vary but some areas allow smoking in outdoor areas. This is often a polarizing topic depending on whether you are or are not a smoker.
I’m not a smoker, so when I am outside, the fresh air is the only thing I want to smell (unless there’s a food truck nearby, then I want to smell that).
Cigarette smoke is a disturbance to my craft beer experience; so I look for spaces that do not allow for smoking. Or at least have designated areas for smoking.
Enjoying the fresh air is a big part of being outside so clean air is a huge factor to enjoying drinking outdoors.
Final Thoughts
Every taproom is unique. The type, size and location of the space directly impacts what they can offer to their customers. But one thing is consistent, an outdoor drinking space is almost a necessity.
People love to drink outdoors.
Drinking outside isn’t really something I that do very often. There are occasions when I find myself taking in some sun along with my craft beer but that is rare.
My preference is taprooms that have the ability to open up large doors and windows so you feel like you are drinking outdoors. The breeze flowing through the space is inviting and helps reduce the noise level as well.
Regardless of my preferences, lots of people like to drink outdoors. And breweries are very aware of how popular it is so most offer a beer garden, patio, deck, or rooftop area for their customers.
