Creating your own Backyard Biergarten at your home can be tons of fun, especially when family, close friends and all your neighbors can share in the enjoyment of it all.
Your own Backyard Biergarten is a real fun project to create and you really can make it as simple or elaborate as you may wish. After all, it is your backyard.
The first part of creating a viable Biergarten in your backyard is knowing the history of Biergartens in Germany. It is true that Biergartens originated in the 19th century in Munich, the capital of the German state of Bavaria.
The large breweries back then dug cellars in the banks near rivers to keep their beer cool during storage. During both the Spring and Summer months they would bring the beer out to enjoy under shade trees in a natural setting outdoors.
When you grow up in the heartland of America with some little known German Heritage in your bloodline, you can’t but one day but notice a certain connection to the all the German immigrants that once migrated to the United States to start a new life, help build a great country and preserve some of their homeland traditions, values and cultural heritage.
What a life changing risk/reward opportunity proposition that must have been for the millions of German emigrants to make. The sacrifices to endure this change had to be monumental. The discovery of your German Heritage probably started with your own surname as a child as you inquired to your parents of its meaning and origin.
Shortly after came the association of German Heritage food dishes, as family recipes were handed down through the generations to continue the sentimental connection prompting more questions regarding your genealogical “roots” history. The family dinner table was always considered the centerpiece and cornerstone of family history and heritage because the dialog that taken place there over the years.
Did you know that to this day, science and common sense agrees that the quickest association to your brain is literally through your stomach?
When you find pleasure eating good food, then that will surely turn into a strong favorable emotion. If there are other attachments to your dining experience like ambiance, heritage and traditional history, then there is no turning back. The emotion is locked in for life.
Don’t know much about your German Heritage yet?
No worries because we created a website that may help you out on your discovery journey to get you up to speed. It’s called GermanNationUSA and is designed to become the official site of German Heritage related tourism and commerce within the USA.
The ever populating GermanNationUSA website is still quite young as we continue to update and upgrade it at every chance, putting emphasis on German Restaurants and food related businesses across America.
We are creating a huge data base so you can hopefully locate a German Restaurant in your immediate area, or if you are anytime away from home so you can experience a bit of Germany, in a eating kind of way.
Of course within GermanNationUSA you will discover how German Heritage is thriving all across America with news headline updates, dedicated sections on German food, German restaurants, German recipes, German festivals & events (like Oktoberfest), German cars, German clubs, societies and organizations, German gifts, German costumes, German genealogy, German music, German dance and notable German themed destinations within the USA.
Got a little German in you?
Why not start exploring your German Heritage today within GermanNationUSA and then with a visit to a local German Restaurant near you and start connecting your stomach to your brain – and get in touch with your German Heritage.
The generic term of “beer garden” (Biergarten) is identified as an open-air establishment where beer is served. The old traditional characteristics of a beer garden in Germany for instance includes good trees (with no sun patio umbrellas), some sturdy picnic table style wooden benches (not plastic garden tables or chairs), and a gravel bed or cobblestone.
The largest known traditional beer garden in the world is the Hirschgarten, located in Munich, Germany which actually seats around 8,000 people.
Of course in the United States, there are Biergartens that are springing up all over the place such as in German themed restaurants, cafes and bars and some in addition to… neighborhood backyards in almost every region of North America.
After all what you really only need to start a Biergarten environment in your own backyard is only a shade tree, patio, table and a few flowers right?
Pretty much.
The purpose of a biergarten in your backyard is not just another place to drink a cold one, although that can surely be a tangible objective. The main idea is to just start simple.
What you are really creating is a relaxation zone living space outdoors. It is a place where one can become tranquil, comfortable and cozy. It should become a designated area for fellowship and goodwill where family, friends and neighbors can gather and feel welcomed, at ease and accepted with warm friendliness and joviality.
The Germans have a one word description for this type of coziness feeling unlike anything in the English language… it’s called “Gemüetlichkeit” pronounced as ge•müt′lich•keit or sounds like ga-moot-lick-kite. Very cool word.
Creating a Backyard Biergarten is not really that difficult to start and it can be as simple as you want it to be. In fact most homeowners start small with just a little area to work with initially and then they add something too it continually each year.
Here are a few tips to give you some ideas to think about to get you started…
If you don’t have a shade tree to start with in your backyard or patio area, plant one or purchase a patio umbrella to accompany your patio table large or small.
Install a flower bed nearby and if it’s a shady area, consider utilizing flowers that do well in partial to no shade areas like multi-colorful impatients or vinca minor and assorted lilies like a daylily or even water lily. Irises are always a given as they always add a nice touch within a home biergarten area. In partial shady areas to sunlit areas, it’s nice to incorporate a variety of daisies (including gerber daisies) that are available in different colors. Wave running petunia’s are a colorful choice and never forget to add in bright red geraniums. These look great in flower containers all by themselves. Additional flowers to consider for your biergarten include some daffodils, begonias or a variety of hosta plants in there too.
A regular patio table will due, however a long bench picnic style table enabled with a patio “German beer” umbrella would certainly set the themed ambiance from the start.
Add the little people within your biergarten. Garden Gnomes are wonderful conversation pieces. Many people give them names for fun.
Outdoor solar lighting around your Biergarden can be really cool and hanging patio lights and torches would create a great dusk time environment.
Do you have a spot for a nearby fish pond or fountain? The sound of running water is a great relaxer at the end of every day.
You have to have a grill set-up nearby too cook the brats. Maybe consider a cooler or tub full of ice to have nearby as well to keep the beverages cold.
German and/or Bavarian flags are nice accessories to display.
Don’t forget to add a custom made Bird House or two. A German “Cuckoo Clock” designed Bird Haus may be just the thing for added ambiance to your biergarten not to mention a beneficial living & dining resource for our feather friends.
Outdoor décor signs are a must to accentuate your new found outdoor oasis. You can now purchase several of these German themed outdoor signs or decor plaques online from select craftsmen within the USA as they are busily creating and getting them on their respective websites to market. I know for a fact that the demand is high because of its German heritage related. As a fun alternative to purchase these signs, it’s also quite fun to actually create, build and paint your own sign(s) with family and friends.Most certainly you would want to create colorful signs that would read like:
• Biergarten
• Willkommen
• Gemütlichkeit Gardens
• Gnome Sweet Home
• Oktoberfest
• Free Bier Tomorrow
• Got A Little German In You?
• Prost
A well thought out Backyard Biergarten can become a real conversation piece as it showcases your proud German Heritage to family members, neighbors and all visitors.
By creating your own Backyard Biergarten, you have the freedom to accentuate it in a variety of ways really any way you wish as you time and budget allows.. You are only limited by your imagination… and of course the outdoor living space to put it.
Just remember, once you get your backyard Biergarten all fixed up just the way you want it – you will have it made in the shade.
