Hosting a kid's birthday party at a beer hall in Brooklyn

The Kings Beer Hall in Park Slope, Brooklyn, had a full house on St. Patrick's Day. But perhaps the biggest crowd was here for a very little guest.

Henry Chessari was turning one, but rather than celebrate with a singalong or puppet show, his parents opted for a bar.

"At least with my generation I think we're kind of realizing our kids are going to come with us where we go, that we're not bending and cowering our whole lives to our children," said Regina Chessari, Henry's mom.

The Chessaris aren't alone. First and second birthday parties at beer halls are becoming a real trend, according to Miranda Gonzalez, the events manager at Kings Beer Hall.

"We're doing kids parties like at least two or three a weekend," Gonzalez said, who added that a big part of the appeal is that the parents can have fun.

"Having a beer in your hand instead of like a paper cup of fruit punch definitely ups the atmosphere for the parents," she said.

Regina said that while Kings Beer Hall does have a good offering of kid-friendly games to match their impressive selection of brews, the party is not just for their little guy.

"I think with the first birthday, we're celebrating that we kept a little baby alive for a year," Chessari said.

Some critics say babies and booze aren't necessarily the best mix, especially when the other patrons at the bar are looking for an adult-only escape. But that is why Kings Beer Hall enforces kid-friendly hours: children are welcome until 6 p.m. on weekdays and 3 p.m. on weekends.

So what would she say to people who might not feel like stepping over babies on their way to the bar?

"I'm not having a kid's first birthday party at 11 p.m.—I think that's a totally different thing," Chessari said. "But at noon, it is what it is—it's Brooklyn!"