Open-air breweries originated in Bavaria, of which Munich is the capital, in the 19th century, and are still common in southern Germany. The beer gardens were spacious, family-friendly outdoor spaces that encouraged customers to stay. As they developed in American cities from the 1840s to the 1870s, music, games, and other entertainment tended to be part of the appeal. Later, Anheuser-Busch capitalized on this idea by creating a series of theme parks called Busch Gardens.
Open-air taverns are defined as outdoor spaces that serve alcohol, so, by definition, there can be no covered beer garden. While an indoor establishment that serves alcohol and has a German or Bavarian theme may claim to be an open-air tavern, it's not really an open-air tavern, but is instead referred to as a beer garden. For a place to be an open-air tavern, it must be outdoors and surrounded by trees and other green areas. The elongated shape of the glass reflects the nuance and effervescence of light gold-colored beers, while the mouth holds the head and pushes the aromas towards the nose. Strict social distancing rules meant that, for some bars, beer gardens and other outdoor seating were the only way to serve alcohol to customers.
With their majestic atmosphere, beer gardens are a special type of place, one that brings people together and allows them to connect in a unique way. While it's been a long time since then, beer gardens in the United States have re-emerged in recent years, and these places are becoming increasingly popular as cities are turning public spaces into emerging beer gardens. An outdoor tavern is supposed to be a social environment where many people live together, and its compact configuration is a great way to cultivate that atmosphere. Just as important as the location and design of an outdoor tavern are the drinks and food served.
As a result, these “German-style” beer gardens became centers of cultural exchange, many of them with traditional German music and games such as bowling or bowling, reinforcing the idea that Americans were really one people, regardless of race or ethnicity. After the lifting of restrictions on alcohol consumption, large outdoor spaces offer a unique opportunity to consume beer more easily and affordably. You might think that opening an outdoor tavern is as simple as putting some tables outside your bar, but that's not the case at all. The history of outdoor breweries in the United States is linked to the economic advances of the Gilded Age, when large cities were transforming industrial spaces into fast-growing metropolitan areas.
Some beer gardens can also use tables and chairs at the height of a bar to accommodate smaller parties and fill space. The second reason, Hofer told me, was that the Bavarians had discovered that fermenting lagers at colder temperatures, between 39 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit, produced a purer beer than beers brewed under warmer conditions. At their core, beer gardens are an ode to drinking and eating outside, so it's hard to resist them. On January 4, 1812, Maximilian I, the first king of Bavaria, signed a decree of compromise that allowed brewers to continue selling beer, but forbade them to sell any food other than bread.
Like a smelling glass, the tulip-type beer glass has a round shape that is perfect for spinning in a spiral. This open-air tavern concept soon moved from Germany to England, France, Austria and beyond, with the same relaxed atmosphere that made it so popular in the beginning.
