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Full disclosure: I’m a 25-year-old guy that’s brutally single. As such, I’ve been on a lot of first dates in a lot of different venues – some good, some bad, some meh. First impressions, not made on Hinge, still mean a lot, and the location for making them has become equally important. While places like bars and coffee shops are still good options for an initial meeting point, there’s growing evidence that your neighborhood taproom might be the ideal spot for a first date as it balances the right mixture of “scene” and entertainment. Plus you get to drink (presumably) great beer.
I’m not here to make the decision for you, but I did want to offer a breakdown of the pros and cons.
Pros
Built-In Entertainment
Finding a TV in the taproom can be dicey, but the people watching is always top notch. Craft beer attracts eclectic personalities from various life experiences, which means that the couple arguing at the bar top about the merits of the free-range chicken on the menu and the beer snob interrogating your nearby waitress on what really goes into the Triple IPA present you with their own unique entertainment value and conversation fodder. But it’s not just the people. A lot of these places now are dog-friendly too, which means that you can mutually ogle over the beagle/corgi mix (has science gone too far?) in the corner furiously searching for burger scraps. And if you’re feeling extra adventurous, some breweries even offer beer yoga. Yes, really. Trying to fight down a burp whilst holding the downward dog position for the fifth time might not sound appealing at first, but the idea grows on you after housing your third round of barrel-aged stouts.
The Beer Flight
The perfect serving format for our generation. Having the opportunity to try five beers instead of being wedded to one is always the right choice. It’s a great conversation starter and a perfect opportunity to share with your date and break the first-date jitters that afflict many people. Don’t like one? Toss it to the side. Find an IPA that tastes like God poured it himself? You already have your beer order prepped for round two. Beer flights are the best and I won’t hear otherwise.
Cons
Cost
You’re going to a place that specializes in alcohol which means that trying just one beer isn’t going to cut it on most dates. You’re here for at least two drinks, maybe a flight (do it), and maybe food if they’re serving their homemade mac and cheese on special. Especially if it comes in that super hip cast-iron pan that looks great on Instagram. All in all, it’s going to add up. And while your local brewery isn’t Girl and the Goat, it probably makes its food with some flare and locally-sourced ingredients to please the craft beer fanatics, so it’s going to run you north of $70 with a healthy tip assuming you’re paying for your date as well. Come prepared.
You Might Get Pressed on your Beer Knowledge
Face it: Approximately 1% of beer drinkers can accurately describe the difference between a Gose and a Saison. One has French origins I believe? But if both beer varieties appear on the tap list, your date might ask you for your opinion on which one to get. This presents two options: either you lie, which could lead to bigger consequences down the road when you say it’ll be sweet but it turns out to be sour, or you fess up and ask the waiter. I’d opt for the latter as I’ve endured the former and I don’t recommend it. It’s always better to laugh at yourself then go down with a sinking ship of mislabeled beer. Plus, it’ll provide a good jumping back point for future conversations.
So, those are my thoughts on the taproom experience. The dating world is wild and vastly unpredictable, but having your first date at a taproom instead of the coffee shop near your office or the neighborhood bar two steps from your 1 bedroom shows that you at least put some thought into it, which seems to be half the battle these days. Disagree or maybe you just hate saisons? I understand it’s not for everyone. Let me know in the comments. Cheers!.
Respond
@TaylorLaabs
@taylor1laabs
It’s never a bad idea to take her to the tap room if ya know what I’m sayinnnnn’….that’s a sex joke, guys. Good morning
I laughed
Yea I get it
As a taproom bartender, please have more first dates in taprooms. They’re so fun for me to watch and judge.
As another a fellow bartender I highly agree, also I’ll never call somebody out on their lack of beer knowledge. He’ll most of the customers know more than me.
Beer knowledge? Remember folks, anyone who uses their (useless) “deep” knowledge of beer, or any other alcohol, to try to impress you and/or make you feel inferior is just a loser who needs to find something better to do with their time. Other than that, I think anything involving a beer flight is a great date spot.
Order a flight and then slam pints of what you like, it’s the American way.
Brb, stealing this for a t shirts for a whenever the pipe dream of owning a bar becomes reality.
Sup?
Hello. I’m available for a tap room date. See you there.
It’s used to be my go-to. First date he pays, second date I pay. It’s v nice and v casual.
I would have a go to but definitely don’t have enough first dates to constitute that.
The big expensive parts of the country are popular for a reason and if it’s worth it to you go for it, but I just have to tell you there are large parts of the country where shit does not cost so goddamn much.
This article gave me Rambo-like flashbacks.
As someone who has learned their lesson on overspending on first dates (both in real life and after getting justifiably roasted by the PGP community the other week), I can confirm that tap room first dates are not the move.
Do you enjoy advertising how a $170 date hurt your wallet every day here??? Just curious, because it’s not a very good PR move, or healthy for your confidence and mental state.
1st date: 2, MAYBE 3 Drinks. No apps (aren’t you trying to get buzzed and conversationally lose, so why are you soaking up the alcohol?). Call it a night because you’re a busy guy and have a busy day tomorrow, kiss her goodnight, leave her wanting more.
Don’t get distracted by mozzarella sticks and fried pickles next time. Keep your head on tight.
Don’t overspend then. Go on a weeknight to get a couple flights and then leave. Spending more on a first date doesn’t get you anywhere further than hitting it off and not being a douche does, so go with the cheap option to start and build up to overspending for the rest of your life.
I live in NYC so 3 drinks each at a tap room plus an app would hit triple figures.
Going forward, I only fly my first dates to Houston for margs at El T.
The move for first dates is choose a weekday at a bar that has a drink / food special designated for that day of the week. Easy way to cut your bill in half. Plus they usually some sort of entertainment during the week to drive business. This isn’t rocket science playboy.
6 drinks and an app would hit 3 figures almost anywhere worth taking a date.
Quick maths time.
$7 a beer (you went top tier at the brewery) x 6 = $42
Now let’s say you split a few apps at said place, more than $12 a piece and you’re going to the wrong spots so that’s $24. Now you’ve used all your money and only leave a $3 tip.
42+12+3= $69 which is nice.
I know it was for the 69 but I hope your tip isn’t $3 on a $66 tab.
It’s all for the 69. It’s always for the 69.
TF are you getting apps for? You’re there to drink. Pay for beers in cash so you’re only tipping the change, do you tip gas station attendants when you drive through Jersey? No, because it wasn’t that much work and they made YOU wait for them to come over and do something you can do yourself in 49 other states.
People are getting apps because hunger is a normal thing that all humans experience.. Also, tip your fucking bartenders, don’t be a dick
1) Alcohol has calories, just like food, and since we’re talking about minimizing his cost, cutting overpriced appetizers is a good place to start because nobody is cutting the liquor.
2) Tipping the change is a tip, by definition.
3) We’re talking about fetching a beer, not properly making an old fashioned.
48, Still illegal in most of Oregon.
It’s still illegal in the counties where most Oregonians live but definitely not “in most of Oregon.”
Tap Room First Date Rules:
1) Three drinks max (or a flight and two drinks), any more than that and you should move to a secondary location.
2) Shared Plates only, no full meals.
Meh, too niche interest for a first date for me. Someone who isn’t into beer is gonna have to be way out of their comfort zone, so the girl who mainlines voddy sodas might be inheirantly more anxious since she can’t get her go to.
Just go to a high end bar with a good beer selection and a patio. All the pros, none of the cons.
There’s a new distillery in town that’s a great go to. Little more of an upscale taproom vibe with appetizers and a great environment, plus it’s so easy to put down a well made drink
Better than a wine bar in most ways.
Idk, I would rather wine flights to find something I like. I can absorb a $6 beer I don’t love for the sake of trying it out. But $12 glass of Pinot I’ve never heard of is a lot harder to swallow.
For my money a flight of beer is more fun — going through a blonde, an IPA, an amber and a porter is like some magical beer journey, as opposed to 3 reds that taste pretty similar.
touche