5vd6How to enjoy German beer gardens | Cheers & Chats Ep. 3

Are you looking for a place to kick back and enjoy life the German way? How about a tall cold beer in the shade of chestnut trees together with locals and people from all over the world? You can even bring your own food or order some from the menu. Introducing the Bavarian Beer Garden. The Hofbräu Keller Beer Garden is in the heart of Bavaria's capital Munich. It's over 100 years old. Typical are the wooden benches and tables under huge chestnut trees, the standard beer garden tree. We'll explain why later. In good weather up to 2,500 people gather here. What are they looking for? It's a nice atmosphere and German beer is the best beer. It's a fantastic option as the weather gets nicer to be out and be under the nature. But to get the most out of your time at the beer garden, you have to make an important decision right at the start. Don't be surprised if the beer gardens generally serve beer from only one brewery, albeit different types. Pale Ale, Wheat Beer and Shandys. Beer mixed with a soft drink. You can choose between a quarter litre, half litre and the classic Bavarian mass, a full litre. But at some point the full mass seems to be the best choice. Why is that? A whole litre of beer at once? How do the guests handle that? And how many of those can they put away? I don't think it matters if you like beer because you're probably going to get two halves anyway, so you might as well get a mass. When visitors come, everybody wants to have a picture with their mass. Not many. Two, three, maybe four. It depends how good the company is. Whether it's one or more litres, it's definitely a good idea to eat something. For instance, sausage salad, Obatzda, a mix of camembert, cream cheese and butter or... In the self-service area, you're even allowed to bring your own food. That sets the Bavarian beer gardens apart. So what do people most often bring? Ursula Seebuck-Foster is the president of a society dedicated to preserving beer gardens. She says they're indispensable to life in Munich. Now, back to those chestnut trees. Back in the days before refrigerators, beer was stored in cellars close to rivers. Chestnut trees were planted for shade and because they have shallow roots, which were less likely to damage the cellars. Munich's Beer Museum is the place to learn more about the history part. Brewers prefer to sell their beer straight from the cellars, but they weren't allowed to offer food with it. So they let their patrons bring their own food along, which opened the door for women as well. But nobody can stay in a beer garden forever, even if they'd like to. Incidentally, in the mid-1990s, a Bavarian court decreed that beer gardens had to close by 9.30pm. But the Bavarians protested so loud and long that the ruling was taken back. What do you think about Bavaria's beer garden culture? Have you been to one? Would you like to? Prosit!