| If you pay close enough attention sooner or later | | | | newly planted trees and the "beer garden" was born. |
| you are going to hear someone use the phrase "beer | | | | Very quickly the term was applied to any open air |
| garden". If you thought this was a humorous | | | | location where beer was served and many taverns |
| reference to somewhere where beer is grown, you | | | | and bars would have an attached garden. |
| were wrong. Beer gardens have been around for | | | | The earliest beer garden in the United States seems |
| quite a long time and, almost certainly, you have | | | | to have been Castle Gardens which opened in 1824 |
| been in one at least once in your drinking life. | | | | on the site of a fort originally built to defend |
| The term seems to have come from 19th century | | | | Manhattan from the British in the war of 1812. |
| Germany. A king of Bavaria from 1825 to 1848, | | | | New York City also hosts the oldest continually |
| Ludwig I, was something of a micro manager and | | | | operating beer garden on 24th in the Astoria section |
| often immersed himself in the most mundane details. | | | | of Queens. Known as Bohemian Hall, and operated by |
| One of these was a decree that the dark lager beer | | | | the Bohemian Citizens Benevolent Society, it is a |
| Bavaria was famous for could only be brewed during | | | | catering hall with a bar and beer garden attached. |
| the cold winter months because the fermentation for | | | | This establishment has been proudly serving since |
| brewing this beer worked best at temperatures | | | | 1919. |
| between 39 and 46 degrees. | | | | Today, the beer garden is under some stress in the |
| Of course if the brewing beer in winter means it will | | | | United Sates as land prices make it ever more |
| probably be drunk in summer when the temperatures | | | | expensive to set aside a plot dedicated to savoring |
| are much higher. To solve this problem in an age | | | | the beer brewing arts. But in areas with less |
| before refrigeration the beer breweries of the time | | | | population density, or more available land area, the |
| dug beer cellars into the banks of the Isar River. | | | | beer garden continues to be enjoyed. Also, the many |
| With the river's source high in the Alps, its water is | | | | different beer festivals held around the country each |
| very cold and kept the beer at the desired | | | | year will almost always have a beer garden set aside |
| temperature. To help, the breweries also added | | | | within the festival boundaries. |
| layers of gravel and planted trees to provide | | | | Another country with severe land restrictions is |
| additional insulation from the warm summer | | | | Japan. But the beer garden is thriving there as many |
| temperatures. | | | | are located on the roofs of office buildings and |
| But no refrigeration meant that the beer really | | | | apartment houses. There is something to be said |
| couldn't be moved very far before becoming warmer | | | | about such efficient use of space! |
| than the optimum drinking temperature so, again, the | | | | The next time you find yourself enjoying a cold one |
| brewers had an idea; If you can't take the beer to | | | | in a park like setting, think of King Ludwig the first |
| the customers, then bring the customers to the beer. | | | | who made it all possible! |
| They set up sturdy tables and chairs under their | | | | |
