Swing by most any Seattle-area brewery on a weekend and you're bound to find a few strollers parked between pint glasses. From Ballard's brewery district to out-of-town brew houses, many taprooms welcome families. Bonus: If there's no kitchen, carry-in food is usually welcome, with food trucks a common sight outside several smaller breweries. Here now, six family-friendly breweries to check out with kids in tow.
Populuxe Brewery
Two words: corn hole. Ballard's Populuxe brings in ice cream vendors, food trucks and music for family nights in the summer (check Facebook) and keeps the corn hole boards out year round. 826B NW 49th St. Seattle. 206-706-3400; populuxebrewing.com
Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom
A short drive from Seattle, this brewery is also freshly remodeled, and they treat your family well. They offer wonderful beer, a great kids' menu and an amazing location. You can hike near the Falls, enjoy the trains in the park, or any of the local trails before or after your brew and lunch stop. Stop by on a Wednesday evening and children eat free. The brewery also has their own homemade root beer on tap, and you can't beat that when the kids are with you. 8032 Falls Ave SE, Snoqualmie. 425-831-2357; fallsbrew.com
Stoup Brewing
This Ballard brewery is full of bells and whistles for kids, including a vending machine stocked with healthy snacks and a row of butcher paper parked next to bins of markers to keep them off the iPhone. The year-and-a-half old spot is at its best in the spring and summer when the doors roll open and the seating extends outside. 1108 NW 52nd St, Seattle. stoupbrewing.com
Reuben's Brews
This small, family-owned craft brewery's tasting room is full of great beer and the owner loves kids (the brewery is named after the owner's son). They don't serve food, but you can bring your own food in and, if you are lucky, you will be there on a day when one of the tasty local food trucks is parked outside. An added bonus: you can also bring your pooches. 5010 14th Ave NW, Seattle. reubensbrews.com
Bonus Brew
OK, so it's not a brewery, but I want to throw one in for all of you cider lovers out there. The Finnriver Farm and Cidery in Chimacum is a must-visit if you have children with you. It's a 33 acre organic family farm and artisan cidery on the Olympic Peninsula, where your kids are free to roam the property (with an adult) and play in the mud. Of course, important to the parents, the cider is great (even my husband who swears off cider loves it). Take a day trip this summer for cider and more … trust me! 62 Barn Swallow Road, Chimacum. 360-732-4337; finnriver.com
Editor's Note: This updated article was originally published in April of 2014.
