I was reading jealously in the NYT this weekend about the new wave of beer gardens in New York when I came something that made me ask what exactly the heck they were talking about:
Beer gardens have achieved such cultural ascendancy that even grand masters are getting into the act. Recently, Joe Bastianich and Mario Batali announced the opening of La Birreria, an outdoor Italian-style drinking establishment, on the roof of Eataly, their Italian food megamall on 23rd Street. The beer garden offers an Alps-influenced menu and craft beers seasoned with fresh thyme picked, by hand, from the hills outside Rome.
Aside from the fact that this sounds extremely precious and pompous and overwrought and likely overpriced, is a garden still a garden when its on a roof? Isn't that a patio? I mean I have been on roof top patios having a beer or two for well over 20 years and I never thought to call it a garden. For me a beer garden has trees and hopefully grass. Like this place in Queens. It's exotic and Teutonic because it's a wooded park where you can get beer. It's also not a beer hall. While big and open and preferably full of oom-pah, that's not a garden. Because it's not outside. Birds should flit about a beer garden, shouldn't they? Chipmunks should make an appearance, low to the ground with a shrub nearby just in case. And a kid sleeping in a stroller in the shade.
Comments
ZymurGeist - May 30, 2011 4:19 PM
A beer garden should be on terra firma and have plenty of trees. Augustiner in Munich is a classic example.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4115/4826735978_6f5445525b.jpg
Grass is an extra bonus
Adam - June 1, 2011 7:21 PM
@ZymurGeist: I absolutely agree. To me, a beer garden should essentially be a park where you can buy beer and some eats (preferably pork knuckle). Kids and dogs should be allowed. The word "gastro" should never be uttered in such a place.
Jordan St.John - June 2, 2011 1:38 PM
I don't know. You've seen Mario Batali. I have to believe that's a guy who drinks some pretty good beer.
Alan - June 2, 2011 2:41 PM
You do know what mortadella is, right?
Maureen - June 15, 2011 8:19 AM
I was excited about reading this blog until I got to the photos. I guess those are city beer gardens, and yes, at least they have trees and they are open! Even in my small town of Traverse City Michigan, the outdoor drinking areas usually feature a view of the sidewalks & streets! Here is a photo from a developing brewery here with a REAL beer garden idea: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=134583599953189&set=a.111034738974742.16770.110981922313357&type=1&ref=nf
Can you dig it? How awesome would it be to have a few hop poles right there within sight while you are enjoying a craft brew?
Bryan Kolesar - June 21, 2011 11:09 AM
Please! Some of these jokers know as much about beer gardens as the beers they're pouring....that is to say, increasingly, that's to say, not so much.
"Beer Gardens", "...Farm...", "Gastropub", "Craft Beer"....is the bandwagon full (fool) enough yet? Sorry, first day of summer rant now over :)