Everybody loves a good game night. Bringing people under one roof to play some sort of communal game might be one of the oldest forms of entertainment. It is not hard to imagine our ancient ancestors bringing their friends together for a quick game that has been lost to time. The tradition remains a popular pastime for adult get-togethers to this day. But game nights have grown far beyond peaceful get-togethers at someone’s home.
Restaurants, bars, and even breweries now host game nights hoping to engage their customers and get them to stick around longer. The longer customers stay in the establishment, the more drinks they will order after all. Game nights at the breweries are an excellent way to satisfy everybody involved. They are a way to grow the business while also keeping the customer happy. But what are the best games to bring people together at the brewery? That is what we will attempt to figure out in this text.
Darts and Pool Are Always Classics
The concept of a pub game has existed for a long time. Darts boards and pool tables have adorned breweries for decades, if not centuries. There is something incredibly satisfying about challenging the local beer drinkers to a round of darts. It is especially fun after everyone has gotten a bit on the tipsy side and the balance they had has long gone out the window. That is when darts get truly exciting.
Pool is another bar game with a long history. It is not uncommon today to see pool-based bars that rely on people’s nostalgia and investment in the classic game. Some breweries have been known to host local pool tournaments where participants can win prizes. These are not professional affairs like what you might see from top-tier snooker players. It is a group of drunk friends who thought it would be fun to compete against fellow casuals and amateurs. Somehow, that sense of innocent fun elevates these tournaments higher than the most professional competitions.
Card Game Tables
Card game tables might be a bit tricky to pull off in a good-old-fashioned brewery. A lot of drinkers may want to see poker decks at the bar. The casino classic was once a staple of pubs and inns after all. But it is downright impossible for breweries today to get their hands on a gambling license. Poker fans will just have to stick to online versions of the game. The internet can provide new and experienced players with a simple list of classic poker variants to try and get better at. But where does that leave the brew-drinking attendees of beer bars?
It may be difficult to get a gambling permit, but that doesn’t mean it is not allowed to host card tournaments or games that don’t require gambling. A lot of breweries nowadays offer games of UNO, for example. A strange coincidence is that rumors have recently emerged about UNO’s inclusion in Las Vegas casinos. Those rumors were wildly exaggerated and debunked by the company itself on its official Instagram page. Gambling game or not, UNO is a card classic that sells like hot cakes. Best enjoyed with a large group, it’s the ideal way to build community and connection, especially when you consider how beer influences your gambling activity, adding a unique twist to the game night experience.
Drinking Games
What is a brewery without the possibility of drinking games? Most of us go to the beer bars to drink after all. If we can make a game out of it, then why not maximize enjoyment for everyone? Beer Pong is the classic beer-related drinking game that everyone knows and loves. The hosts set up a ping pong table with fifteen cups of beer on either side. The goal is to land a ping pong ball in the opponent’s cup, forcing them to empty it before the game can continue.
Beer Pong is so popular that it has even gone semi-professional. Beer Pong tournaments have swept the nation to a point that some are calling it the next great pastime. It is certainly unlikely that the humble brewery game will ever get to the same level as football or baseball. But it is a fun way to spend some time with friends in the local bars and enjoy a quick round of beers for everyone.
The Brew Crawl
We’ve all heard of the bar crawl. Legends and stories of friend groups that have set out to drink from every bar in the city exist in small communities all over the country. But people are kicking the tradition up a notch. Brew crawls are the next big thing. There are over 300 breweries in the state of Pennsylvania alone. Brave friend groups have charted beer trails and set out on multi-day journeys, hoping to get a taste of every single brew that the Coal State has to offer.
It may not be exactly right to call this a brewery game. But it is certainly a classic way to engage with a number of businesses all over the country. Those who embark on such a journey ought to be careful, though. At the end of the day, our drinking with friends should be about fun. A dose of self-restraint and responsibility is the best way to retain a level of merriment when on a bar crawl.
