5 Great Local Beer Gardens You Can Bring the Kids
Here's one for all you beer snobs (with kids).
This post is part of my “Ask An Expert” series, which features locals with a niche expertise. What’s yours? Email me at kaylakaplowitz@substack.com with your idea. Anyone who contributes a good recommendation gets a free 3-month Premium membership. 🙌
This past weekend, I met my two best college friends for a girls weekend in Saratoga Springs. To have two entire kid-free days to properly catch up after five (!) years was just what we needed.
But, after one too many brewskis on Friday night, we decided to take it easy on Saturday and even had the bright idea to make next month a “dry May.”
Yet here I am back at home, finishing up this beer garden post I promised you last week, and deciding which of these establishments I want to try next weekend.
For this week’s Ask an Expert, I tapped into (see what I did there) the expertise of a few locals who can personally vouch for these. I’m not sure they all fit the proper definition of a German biergarten, but they’re all close enough in my mind. And with these steady springtime temperatures, I think you’re going to want to bookmark this one for later. Prost! 🍻
Cider Nights at Hardscrabble Cider (130 Hardscrabble Rd., North Salem) »
Cider Nights are back, folks. Every Friday and Saturday night from 5:00-9:00PM starting this weekend, you can bring the fam to Hardscrabble Cider’s sprawling outdoor space for live music, great cider, beer, cocktails, and delicious brick-oven pizza.
It’s first-come-first-serve picnic-style seating, the pizza and beer lines can get crazy long, and you’ll have to deal with the porta potty situation. BUT if you just go in with an attitude that you and your kids are most likely going to be sweaty and covered in dirt & pizza grease by the end of the night, then you’ll have a fantastic time. We always do.
My kids love running around the big field, climbing the trees or visiting the goats and chickens near the barn while someone in our group is waiting in line for food & drinks. And as Vitamin C warned the class of ‘99: Wear sunscreen. There aren’t any picnic table umbrellas and zero shade until the sun sets.
It’s such a gorgeous setting to bring out-of-towners to show off how lucky you are to live here. So make a plan to go to at least one Cider Night this spring/summer. And don’t forget to grab a bag of apple-cider donuts for dessert before you leave. »
Below the paywall, paid supporters can find the full list of recommended kid-friendly beer gardens. It’s paywalled because I’ve learned that access to these sorts of roundups are very motivating for people who’ve been meaning to subscribe but haven’t yet. Remember, a paid subscription gives you real-time access to The Plan calendar, the Monday “Ask an Expert” column, and the weekend event roundup on Tuesdays—all for just $5/m.
I’m committed to offering completely unbiased, ad-free opinions on The Plan, so support from readers means this model might actually work. Click the button to try it free for two weeks and cancel anytime if it’s not for you.