With the explosion of new breweries, there are countless options when it comes to picking a place to grab a glass of craft beer. This is great news for craft beer lovers. However, it does make it difficult to choose which brewery taproom to visit.
Because as much as we would love to visit all of them, all the time; we can’t.
There’s so many options; how do I choose? Take a look at these factors that will help steer your decision to the best taproom for you and your current situation.
Who’s Open
First things first, know the brewery taproom hours.
Many breweries are closed throughout the week or may have different hours depending on the day of the week. Some open around noon while others not until late afternoon. And not all are open late either. In addition, breweries are popular for private events.
So do your due diligence and make sure they are actually open before you make the trip. And I always like to know if there are other breweries close by just in case.
Location
Lots of details to think about here. Consider the distance you’ll need to travel to get to the taproom as well as where they are located in relation to other places you’ll want to visit. Many breweries are located in areas of the city with shopping, entertainment, and restaurants.
There’s a good chance that you can visit 2 or 3 brewery taprooms in the same trip. Take time to find out where the other taprooms are in that same area to maximize your time.
Also, consider what your visit means to the area. By supporting a brewery, you are also supporting that neighborhood. So if there’s a part of town that you want to support (maybe your own neighborhood?), then consider visiting a taproom there. It has been shown that taprooms are causing a rebirth in areas of cities that were once in decline.
Who’s Going With You?
Are you going solo? With a friend?
What about kids, pets, etc?
Knowing who is going with you is one of the most important factors. Not every taproom is family friendly or pet friendly.
Check out this article on Kids In Taprooms and this one on Dogs In Taprooms to learn more about this topic.
Type Of Beer
Not all taprooms are the same and not all breweries make the same kind of beer.
If you don’t like sour beers, then going to a taproom that only makes sour beers is probably risky. This also applies to the prior section on who is going with you. Make sure to respect the beer preferences of your friends and family.
For the most part, breweries make a wide range of beers and will have something for everyone but it’s always worth checking first. And many list their taplist on their website or social media so it isn’t hard to do your homework.
In addition to the type of beer they offer, be aware of any recent releases. Breweries offer more on tap than they offer in cans or bottles. So there’s a good chance you’ll get to try a taproom only brew. Depending on what it is, a special release might be the thing that convinces you to visit them.
Food
Is it just me or are 90% of life’s decisions about food? Maybe it’s just me . . .
Anyway, think about food prior to picking a taproom. Many do not offer food so if you’ll need to plan to bring food along in those cases. But also be aware, if a brewery doesn’t offer food in-house then they probably recruit food trucks. Social media is often the best place to find food truck details for the day.
If they do offer food, then you won’t be able to bring food into the taproom. So make sure you like what they are serving or opt to eat before or after your visit. There’s lots of different options; just be sure you know what’s available before venturing out.
Live Music
Do you enjoy live music?
Some taprooms have embraced live music as a way to stand out from the other breweries in their area. It’s a great way to attract customers and keep them in the taproom longer . . . as long as they like the band!
The breweries that offer music promote it heavily on their social media channels so see who it playing that night since their music will probably make or break the night.
But just because they offer live music, doesn’t mean their space is designed for it. I recommend finding out if live music is something they are designed to handle or something they’ve added to a space that isn’t ideal.
Patio Drinking
How’s the weather? Are you inspired to drink a few pints outside?
If so, make sure you know whether the brewery taproom that you are headed to offers a patio, beer garden or other outdoor area.
In my experience, most offer some kind of outdoor area so you should be good no matter where you go but better safe than sorry. And some are better than others so keep your expectations in check if you’ve never visited before.
Read About The Sam Adams Cincinnati Taproom
Final Thoughts
I don’t think I’ve been to a brewery taproom that I didn’t love. As long as the beer is good and the staff is friendly, I’ll probably have a good time.
The suggestions above are merely suggestions and if you are like me then you often pick a taproom “just because” or because you haven’t been there before. There’s really no wrong reason to visit a taproom.
But when there are so many choices, it’s not easy to decide which to visit next. Make sure you consider all the factors before heading to a taproom. There’s a good chance that there’s a taproom out there that fits your current situation perfectly.
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