Six weeks. It took me six weeks after giving birth to get back to a brewery. Believe me, I wanted to go earlier… but a few things were in the way (mostly the two infants). We loved going to breweries before the girls were born, and I wanted to make sure we could still make it out on a weekend afternoon after they arrived. The only (admittedly fun) challenge? I had to find the right breweries.

Baby-Friendly Brewery Must-Haves

What makes a brewery baby-friendly? It took me a while to figure this out – but luckily the trial and error phase included a tasting glass (okay, maybe even a pint). 

• Outdoor area. Ideally grass or turf, but a nice outdoor concrete area also works.  Grass and turf are soft so when the girls are crawling or even walking around I am not worried about them injuring themselves! When they were “baby babies” (aka infants), grass and turf were nice because I could lay a blanket out and their little soft heads wouldn’t hate me for it. 
• Friendly staff. When I show up to a brewery with my two girls, I usually have another mom and who knows how many other littles with me. If we have a staff member smile at us rather than roll their eyes, it makes all the difference. 
• Culture. If the culture of the brewery is high brow and not game with a few cheerios left behind, as a mom I immediately feel uncomfortable. Peace out. 
• Good beer. Obviously! 

San Diego’s Best Baby-Friendly Breweries

1. Viewpoint Brewing Co. 

(2201 San Dieguito Drive, Del Mar, CA, https://www.viewpointbrewing.com)

I stumbled across this brewery with my husband when we were trying (and failing) to go to KAABOO and party like we didn’t have children. We wanted to hit the brewery after KAABOO, but again – I can’t hang like I used to be able to. So,  the next weekend when we were looking for something to do with the girls, I immediately pictured myself sitting out on the lagoon with another pint of their San Dieguito Saison. They have a wonderful turf outdoor area with a few games, a couple of fun swings, and plenty of space for a few littles. The staff were absolutely amazing. If you sit outside in the turf area, you do need to go inside to grab your beer of choice – however, one server saw me with my load of baby gear and two girls practicing tummy time on the turf and very kindly came over and asked me if I could use a refill (yes – the answer is always yes). 

Must Order: Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese, Garlic Fries w/ the San Dieguito Saison

2. Gravity Heights 

(9920 Pacific Heights Blvd. San Diego, CA 92121, https://www.gravityheights.com/)

This brewery is fairly new – but is already at the top of my list. Delicious food paired with fun tasting flights. The outdoor area is great – turf on one side, and picnic tables on the other. We went on a Saturday afternoon and my two girls had plenty of other little friends (AND dogs!) to crawl around with. Next time we go, it will definitely be on a Sunday to try Chef Ryan’s Famous Fried Chicken!

Must Order: Pear and Pancetta Pizza, with The Garden Flight (Summer Haze, Beach Day, Sandbar Blonde and Ctrl+Alt+Bier)

3. Coronado Brewing Co.- San Diego Tasting Room

(1205 Knoxville Street, San Diego, CA 92110, https://coronadobrewing.com/)

We have been huge Coronado tasting room fans since it opened – and watching it grow and continually making great additions is so fun. They recently added THE BEST outdoor patio. First of all, it’s huge – enough tables and space for games (and strollers, picnic blankets, toys, oh my!). The patio is concrete, so a picnic blanket is necessary for a soft place to snack and play. What I really love about the tasting room is the constant rotation of beers. Of course, they have all of their Core Series beers on tap, but they also have fun things to try – and honestly, I’ve never had a bad beer at Coronado. 

Must Order: California Style Pizza with Orange Ave Wit 

4. Karl Strauss Brewing Company – Tasting Room & Beer Garden

(5985 Santa Fe St, San Diego, CA 92109,  https://www.karlstrauss.com/)

Tucked away behind the 5, Karl Strauss has this great tasting room. I lived in PB for five years before I knew about it! They have an amazing beer garden with picnic tables, trees, games – everything you could want. The first time I came here with the girls we had a staff member come up to my friend and I…and proceed to start clapping – it was hysterical. She was so impressed by the fact that we were sitting there, with three babies… drinking a beer. We may have arrived right when they opened at 2pm because nap schedules rule our lives, but I don’t see anything wrong with two moms enjoying a cold pint at 2:30pm on a Wednesday.

These four breweries are fantastic for families, but I’m sure I’ve only reached the tip of the iceberg on San Diego’s best beer haunts. I am legitimately always looking for a new place that I can grab a beer and tote the girls along with me. If you have any suggestions please let me know in the comments so I can go check them out!