Issue link: http://hvparent.uberflip.com/i/283958
28 Hudson Valley Parent n April 2014 Babies and beer! Local beer gardens are family-friendly destinations By KATHLEEN WILLCOX B abies + beer = wholesome family fun? Before you pick up the phone to call Child Protective Ser- vices, just remember: like all good and fun things in life, they totally do it in Europe. Luckily for us, more and more Hudson Valley brewers are honor- ing their beer ancestry and creating venues that the whole family truly can enjoy. In central Europe, the biergarten has long been a highly valued com- munity and family gathering center hailing from 19th century Bavaria. Before the age of refrigeration, beer could only be consumed at cool temperatures during the winter. But brewers — and their customers — developed a taste for cold suds. Unlike traditional bars (a.k.a. kneipen), biergartens became one of the few public places created for social interaction in which the lines established by the hierarchical classist society of 19th century Bavaria disap- peared. Families of all backgrounds ate and played together and bier- gartens became such an established cultural institution, laws were passed securing patrons' rights to consume their own food, further blurring class lines and enabling almost everyone to partake in the fun. Upper and lower classes mingled freely. Gemutlichkeit — or an atmo- sphere of wholesome, good living and comfort — became the hall- mark of Bavarian biergartens. Two hundred years later, the tradition is being reinvigorated, with a special Hudson Valley foodie twist. Many of the wholesome, indoor and out- door gardens they've created have child-friendly games and food, and all come equipped with high chairs and gemutlichkeit. The Newburgh Brewing Company For the Newburgh Brewing Company, which opened its doors in 2012 and is run by childhood best friends Christopher Basso (brew- master and CEO) and Paul Halayko (president and COO), family friend- liness a part of its DNA. Basso, a former brewer at Brook- lyn Brewery, and Halayko, previ- ously a CPA working for JP Morgan Chase Bank, grew up in Washington- ville and launched the brewery (with financial support from 22 of their closest friends and family). They wanted to create innovative brews served in a classic beer garden style, plus the chance to give back to the community (the brewery employs 20 local workers and offers up its bars The Newburgh Brewing Company features communal tables, as well as table tennis, air hockey, corn-hole and a vast selection of board games. "There are plenty of games to keep my son entertained and the crowds are always super friendly," says customer Daniel Terwilliger of Wallkill. (Continued on Page 30) "I knew I wanted to recreate that family- friendly beer garden atmosphere." — Paul Halayko, The Newburgh Brewing Co.