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The
Beer Garden
The Epitomy of German Beer Culture
The beer garden is a true German treasure. It emerged in the 19th century in Bavria and has since become a fixture of German beer culture thoughout the entire country.
It is inextricably
linked with the spread of lager-making. Long before refrigeration replaced
ice blocks in the 1870s for keeping beer storage cellars cool during the
summer months, the beer gardens had become favored destinations for country
outings by the city folk.
To
aid in keeping these cellars cool, brewers planted leafy linden and chestnut
trees on top of the cellars. Once these trees had taken hold, they provided
shade against the summer sun. It did not take
much imagination to place a few chairs and tables under the shady canopy
and to sell the brewery's beer to the public-fresh, straight from the casks
below. Herein lie the roots of beer gardens, many of which are still named
Bierkeller (beer cellar) for the beery vaults underneath them.
