That was the most memorable thing random drunk kids–and by kids in this case I mean people who were over 21 but not by much–said to my wife and I as we made our way around the 2012 Great American Beer Festival with our 9-month-old baby boy strapped to one of our chest’s.
Answer: We do!
And our kid is a better young man for it!
Izzy Parker Yaeger, a.k.a. I.P.Yae, checking into his first brewery, Thirsty Bear in San Francisco, age: 5 weeks.
I cannot count how many articles and social media threads I’ve read, and chimed in on, about why you’re a terrible parent for bringing your minor to a brewery or establishment that serves alcohol. And I don’t doubt that some parents are truly irresponsible or inconsiderate by letting their booger factories interfere with servers carrying lots of glasses or climbing on expensive equipment not meant for climbing or what-have-you. (I def remember the first time I put him in a high chair and didn’t have to use my one free hand to hold my beer away from him as well as when he learned to climb out of the high chair and I had to really start monitoring him.) But this is not that post. This is about the flip-side, about just one young man who’s now double-digits and can socially engage with younger kids, older kids, and grown-ups in part because part of his own socialization took place in pubs–remember, that’s short for “public house,” AND who can probably beat the pants off you in a game of corn hole.
Laurelwood was possibly the first ever family-centric brewpub in America. Although it was his 5th brewery, as a new dad I wanted it to be his first. C’est la vie. Age 7 weeks.I.P.Yae’s first onesie: Boneyard Beer. Few breweries cottoned to this aspect of branding by 2012, though most gift shops sell them now. Now if I can only get them to make Youth tees! Age: 2 months.There’s a crazy back story to how we got to travel through Denmark with a 6-month-old. But suffice it to say, Mikkeller was I.P.Yae’s first brewery abroad. Two years later, he’d actually get his first toddler tee!Just a dad’s opinion that this is the cutest baby picture ever. Snapped before ending the Fresh Hops Fest in Hood River, OR, it was the perfect place to show off his “Don’t Worry Be Hoppy” shirt. Age: 9 months.Speaking of Hood River, kudos to brewers/parents extraordinaire Josh & Annie pFriem, who’ve always demonstrated the perfect way to have kids be comfortable in a brewery.Proof he was there. BTW GABF DOES allow minors under 2. Age: Almost 10 months.Possibly Charlie Papazian‘s tiniest fist-bump. Age: 63 (I mean C.P.)Hopworks is renowned as one of the most family-friendly brewpubs. You can’t fathom how many kids count it among their pivotal, cherished memories growing up. Here’s I.P.Yae, 1, with cousins Zach & Ethan.L’enfant Terrible 🤣 (Pointedly, I.P.Yae has possibly been to more breweries that no longer exist than you’ve been to ones that are still in operation. R.I.P. Bridgeport.) Age: 1 1/2. Living abroad in Europe, no one ever bat an eyelash at a kid (or dog) at a brewery like this one, De Halve Maan, our first in Bruges, Belgium. Age: nearly 2.Not only does he know how to properly cheers, but he could say it in multiple languages by the time he was age 2. Here he’s demonstrating prost at Paffgen drinking Kölsch in Köln.And developing the finer points of beer tasting at La Cervesera Artesana in Barcelona. Age 2 1/2.Here’s one he’ll learn from later on. But it still teaches something about family. And reverence. Cheers to Jean Van Roy (seen, age 47) and his dad Jean-Pierre van Roy (age 72) at Cantillon. I.P.Yae age 2 1/2.Rob and Kurt Widmer, aka the Widmer Brothers, helped turn Portland into “Beervana.” Neither had kids. Hell, I was once adamantly opposed to having a kid:-( I.P.Yae has a knack for winning over the childless. Age 2 1/2Tell me this kid doesn’t know how to hold court, even with the likes of “the Beer Goddess” Lisa Morrison and “Wicked” Pete Slosberg at Belmont Station. Age almost 3.Sometimes breweries are a good place to meet girls. Sometimes you’re not in the mood. Age 3.Family is everything. And everything goes with pFriem Family beer.Age 3
At Ft. George Brewery in Astoria, OR, the kid just butted into this fierce game of foosball. When you’re a kid, you can get away with a lot. Age 3 1/2
Like, a lot a lot. I swear this was the brewer’s idea and that’s his hand in the vid. Age 3 1/2 It’s quite something to get together after a handful of years with old and great friends and we’ve got kids! I can’t wait to get back to Triple C Brewing in Charlotte, NC to reunite these tots. Age almost 4.No matter how remote, where there’s people, there’s beer. And where there’s good beer, there’s good people. At nearly 4 years, I.P.Yae found himself at the world’s southernmost brewery, Cerveza Cape Horn
I like to joke that I.P.Yae has probably been to more breweries than any kid his age. Same goes for hop fields! Here he is in Rogue‘s. Age 4.
Three generations. At the almighty Russian River. Magical. (Plus, my dad discovered sours!) Age 4 1/2.I could write 1,000 words about this man, Trent, at this brewery, Columbia County. In fact I did. Just before he passed away. I.P.Yae (here age 5 1/2) and I will never forget his gourmet “Mac Daddy”Nothing gold can stay. Cherish special people while they’re around; same goes for breweries. Everyone felt the loss when Portland’s cherished The Commons Brewery, which had JUST this month started allowing minors. Seen here w/ SNOB Ritch’s daughter, Lilah. Ages 5 1/2 and almost 4, respectively.Someone cuter always comes along to steal your thunder. M Special Brewing. Age 5 1/2 (Taz, age 2 months).There have been times I.P.Yae felt I was dragging him to breweries. This time, however, I had to drag him out of Arts District Brewing in L.A.’s Arts District, age practically 6. Remember this one? Six years after our first visit, we found ourselves back at the Thirsty Bear! The more things change… Lesson: he’ll always be my baby boy. Age 6..I’ve been flown all over for beer travel stories. This one time they said I should bring a companion to help me tackle “Brewed on the Bikeway.” Along the way we discovered what is possibly I.P.Yae’s fave brewery to date, Little Fish in Athens, OH. He discovered Battleship. ate fried duck, AND caught a frog! Age 6 1/2Ohio served as a launchpad for a 5-state trip across the Midwest. Visited my #1 bucket list brewery, Scratch in remote Ill. Few brewers celebrate nature like Scratch! And the family-friendly brewery is now baby-friendlier.14 breweries later, he finally beat his old man at Battleship! AND, while hosting a dog-day, discovered his favorite beer: Berliner Weisse with Woodruff. (“Tastes like marshmallow!” R.I.P. Iron Triangle. Age 6 1/2Having outgrown kiddy play areas, we now play poker. Everyone can take a lesson from this kid. At Five Threads in Westlake, CA, he noticed a man just standing around alone. He walked up to him and invited him to play poker with us. Turns out the cat was a professional poker player! He regaled us with incredible stories of Vegas, tournaments, and more. Exactly what pubs are for, no? Also shown: Seaward in Ventura. Age 6 3/4This was from a doughnut trip that yielded some great brewery visits with many great people. I know it seems like 8th Wonder Brewing‘s 36-foot-tall Beatles are the stars. But it’s that Houstonian Doak with I.P.Yae. Age 7. Urban South in New Orleans is tied for I.P.Yae’s fave. Not b/c he got to hang out with founder Jacob Landry, but b/c they have a bounce house. IN the brewhouse! Also: it’s where he lost his 1st tooth. Age 7Kinda needs no explanation. Half Moon Bay Brewing, 9 years apart. Age almost 8.This was at a beer bar called Lama Dog in Santa Barbara. Nutshell: Alex from Imperial Bottleshop was in town. I said we’d meet up for one beer. Before I knew it, he was introducing EVERYONE to “my friend Izzy” who worked the room offering massages, or magic tricks, for tips. Kid took home $57 Late Feb, 2020! Age 8You’d think there’d be no new brewery visits during a global pandemic. But Arne’s beers at Marin Brewing are too good to stay away from. Age 8 1/2Lesson: If at first you don’t succeed… I.P.Yae actually first met John Holl at Barcade in New Jersey in 2012. Not a brewery. So his first NJ brewery was Departed Soles, makers of fine #doughnutbeers. Age 9 1/2WINGS..9 1/2.wings pt II 9 3/4
Brian Yaeger: Beer Writer 