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Pils, Lager, Bock, Weizen, Dunkel, Helles… potato salad, bratwurst, pretzels, schnitzel: we all know beer gardens are the real “gardens of earthly delights”. And, as the season draws to a close, we thought it only fitting to pay homage to the deliciously simple formula of beer + garden, for this week’s #MashupMonday.
To quote from an article in The Atlantic explaining how German beer gardens came to be – “great innovations are borne of extreme limitations”. In this case, the innovation-inspiring setback was a 1553 Bavarian regulation that confined beer brewing to the winter months. Breweries started planting large-leaved chestnut trees on their grounds to keep their stocked cellars cool in summer. It didn’t take long for tables to be positioned in the verdant shade and crowds to start gathering to enjoy the bountiful brew in scenic surroundings.
These days in Berlin, beer gardens range from hipster havens serving craft beer to booming riverfront beach bars to the more traditional, gravel-strewn yards welcoming people from all walks of life – even children(!) thanks to handy playgrounds. And don’t be fooled by the empty chairs and benches in some of these pics – beer gardens have been more popular than ever this season with the advantages of al fresco imbibing in times of social distancing as clear as Kristall beer. True Berliners also know there’s nothing better than a half-empty beer garden at midday to get your creative juices flowing: goodbye #WFH, we say – “Prost, #WFBG!”
And “Prost!” to all you distant Berliners out there – wishing you a refreshing start in a new week, a new month and a new season!
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