Remember when it was not acceptable to bring a baby to a bar?

[Baitball Blogger]

Probably the better title is "How they bent the rules to sell beer to families with small children in tow."

One of my favorite lines in Sweet Home Alabama (2002) occurs when the character played by Reese Witherspoon is walking through a crowded bar and bumps into an old time HIgh School friend played by the affable, talented, but unsung Melanie Lynsky. Melanie is holding a baby and Witherspoon's line is, "Look at you. You have a baby, in a bar."

I remembered the line this Thanksgiving when we went to one of those beer specialty pubs that offer their own crafted beers. Not a bar in a classic sense, but there we all were, lining up for crafted beer in a large lighted hall, a la Harry Potter, with all the young families, babies and small siblings. And when I posed with my grandbaby for a photo, the line, "Look at you. You have a baby, in a bar." Every time I remembered the line, I laughed like a crazy person. My son-in-law asked me what I thought was funny and brushed him off and said it was a boomer thing.

But, is it? Wasn't the whole point of keeping underage children out of bars to keep them from being overly influenced by adult drinking habits? If that's the case, is there really any difference between traditional bars and these current micro-breweries that are now an acceptable family destination?

[PJMcK]

1. My family moved to Connecticut in 1968

At that time, there was a blue law that said women could not sit at a bar!

[CrispyQ]

2. I didn't think breweries were usually family oriented.

Adults are there to drink & socialize. What is there for kids to do at a brewery? The breweries in my area are more like bars than restaurants that also serve drinks. I know standards change over the years but when I go to a bar I don't want kids around.

[herding cats]

6. Here in Austin, TX family friendly breweries are a thing.

They even include features like playscapes and goats to keep the kiddos occupied.

Wild as it may seem, it's a thing and in most all major cities it's now a trend. I have even been to wineries with playscapes. Millennials want to still go out and enjoy themselves with their friends even though they now have families. The craft brewers saw this and marketed on it.

https://austinfunforkids.com/austin-breweries-with-playgrounds/

[WalkerinSC]

3. I was stopped

midway through the "Rodeo Song" at a bar called Mugs and Jugs in St Pete, Florida in the mid 90's. I asked what was wrong and the DJ told me, and I quote "You can't sing that song, this is a family bar". I thought he was joking until I peered through the smoky haze and saw a couple of strollers and even elementary school age children running around. This was pretty late and in the middle of the week. My first taste of Floriduh Family Values.

[quaint]

4. Every pizza spot I've ever been in had beer and kids, no problem.

[Baitball Blogger]

9. They also offered a speciality vodka cocktail.

[rurallib]

5. Wish that had been true when was a kid

My parents spent most of their lives in a bar. They had to take care of me so along I went.

[JoseBalow]

7. I think kids are allowed if they sell food

but if it's just drinks, it's 21+ only

That's my understanding, but there may be exemptions depending on the jurisdiction?

[Sneederbunk]

8. My parents would never enter a restaurant with neon beer sign in the window.

[HeartachesNhangovers]

10. It's still not acceptable to bring a minor to a bar, laws notwithstanding.

No one goes to a bar to hang out with your children (who are probably staring at their hand-held, electronic friend) - excepting the pervs, of course. People go to bars to watch sports, swear, complain about their spouses, partners and families, get drunk and generally have adult fun. Children are a drag in such an environment.