The Importance of Brewery Taprooms as a Third Place

The sacred third place. The spot where you can come together and socialize, free from the mundane worries of everyday life. A place where 401(k)’s, PTA meetings, and shopping lists fade away, and conversation becomes primary. In our modern society where the home-work-home-repeat cycle is all too prevalent, third places are more important than ever.

Unfortunately, many social spaces are fading away as schedules become busier and busier and the internet and TV take over as our primary leisure outlets. But there’s one place you still can count on to provide that much needed escape from day-to-day banality: your local taproom.

Here are some facts on this invaluable third place, courtesy of Great Beer Now.

Background

First, a step back. What is a third place, anyway? The concept of the third place comes from the idea that our home is the “first place” in our lives and our workplace the “second place.” For a life with a strong, stable tripod base, we also need a third place — a neutral ground that’s separate from the duties of work and home, where neighbors can come together in pursuit of relaxation and good conversation.

With the rise of suburbanization and increasingly private home lives, many of our traditional third places have died off. Men no longer linger in barber shops, and soda foundations are a thing of the past. While coffee shops may seem like the perfect modern third place, more often than not, they’re filled with people wired to laptops. But we need that third place socialization for our well-being. So where to start?

Enter local taprooms. In an era where you can live in a neighborhood for years without ever knowing the family two doors down, adults are seeking new places to connect with their community. And while the internet has become a valuable social outlet for many, there’s no substitute for face-to-face interaction. Taprooms are one of the few spots where you’re unlikely to find someone glued to technology, intentionally alone. Instead, they come with a sense of belonging and an open invitation to linger.

Benefits of Taprooms

There’s truly something special about spending time with your neighbors and enjoying beer that’s brewed right in your own community. You feel more connected to your neighborhood with specialty brews, a familiar bartender, and relaxed ambiance, plus there’s a constant opportunity to meet other residents from your area.

The best local taprooms are a neutral ground, where hierarchical structures dissolve and pure enjoyment is the priority. When you’re mingling, no one knows what car you drive or the square footage of your home; instead, you’re judged on your ability to take part in conversation. Of course, the social lubricant of alcohol doesn’t hurt, either.

A drink or two in a social environment may find you striking up a conversation with a complete stranger, which can even open up networking opportunities. All sorts of people frequent taprooms, so take advantage of the opportunity to network. This means having a business card on hand to promote your business; not only will this open up networking opportunities, but it will also let people know you’re serious about your company. And thanks to online generators and templates, you can put together free business cards and have them ready to be printed and passed around within a matter of minutes. You can even customize them with your own logo.

Local taprooms can also serve as a point of entry for newcomers to the neighborhood. And when the average person moves more than 11 times in their life, having a convenient way to get acquainted is incredibly valuable. By grabbing a drink and chatting with regulars, you can discover where to find the best burger in town, get a crash course in local politics, and meet some potential friends. And at many taprooms you’ll find pool tables, dart boards, amateur musicians, and even board games, making it a great place to meet folks with shared interests.

Find Your Third Place

In a world where stress is on the rise, people need a place where they can escape the weight of responsibility. Along with other types of stress management like exercising, eating well, and deep breathing, taprooms offer us a place to disconnect and unwind. When local taprooms are woven into the fabric of a neighborhood, they provide the perfect breeding ground for socialization and networking opportunities! And who knows, you might even run into that neighbor from two doors down and discover you have a lot in common after all.