Are you into craft beer but unsure about taking your kiddos to the brewery? In the past, I was apprehensive about taking my son to breweries. But more and more, I see families with small children at breweries. My husband and I enjoy craft beer, and since having a kid that hasn’t changed. If you are into craft beer, live anywhere in Michigan, and have kids, then you’ve probably contemplated visiting New Holland Brewing with your kids. I’ve been to both of their brewpub locations, and I found both places to be very kid-friendly!
New Holland Brewing locations
New Holland has two brewpub locations, one in Holland, Michigan and one in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We were in Holland, in May, for Tulip Time (shameless plug for Tulip Time with kids– if you have the opportunity to go you should!). The New Holland Pub on 8th is centrally located downtown Holland, and is easy to find. The brewpub in Grand Rapids, the Knickerbocker, is located about 5 minutes from downtown, in a trendy area, and was easy to get to.
New Holland Brewing Kid’s Menus
In visiting New Holland Brewing with kids my primary concern was what to feed the kids. Both locations had good options for kid’s meals. There were the usual suspects: mac & cheese, pizza, chicken strips, and a burger. But they also had stuff like a kid’s steak, grilled chicken, kid’s veggies, and a chef’s plate.
Space for Families
The Pub on 8th, in Holland, is set up like your typical restaurant, and it was suitable for families.
The Knickerbocker, in Grand Rapids, was impressive. With its vaulted ceilings, it had a cavernous and outdoorsy feel. When you first walk in you are greeted by a life-size dragon. The kids in our party really enjoyed that. For the seating, there were traditional booths and tables, but we were seated at a bench-style picnic table and were able to spread out. They also had this indoor/outdoor seating thing going. Even if you sat indoors, you felt as though you were outdoors. All told, I thought it was a great space for families.
My Favorite New Holland Beers
I’m not a beer snob, but I don’t like bad beer. Between the two brewpubs, we tried a variety of samples, and none of the beers had any off-flavors. At the Pub on 8th (Holland), my favorite beer was Yay Sports, a ginger apricot IPA.
By the time we visited the Knickerbocker in June, Yay Sports was not on tap. So I went with Mad Hatter, which is an American IPA; it was good. Dragon’s Milk White, Tangerine Space Machine, and the Kombucha IPA all deserve honorable mentions as well.
Takeaway
I can unequivocally recommend visiting New Holland Brewing with kids. You’ll have a good time at either location. However, the Knickerbocker had a more casual feel to it and edges out the Pub on 8th. If you are visiting Grand Rapids, check out our post for what to do on a weekend in Grand Rapids with kids.
Have you visited New Holland with kids? If so, drop me a line below and let me know what you thought!
We incorporated one brewery into a wine tour we went on in Southern California … and I was surprised with how many family groups were there. I’d assumed it was an adult-only occasion. But there was loads of room for the kids to run around and play, and the pizza they served with the beers was delicious. And what kid doesn’t like pizza!?