Oktoberfest seems to be one of those things that is in our psyche and maybe even our lore – a celebration of fall that puts many in a fall mood – but one that not that many people have actually been able to experience.
Most of the world’s best beer gardens are in Europe, most specifically in Germany, Austria, and some of the Slavic countries. Beginning in the late 19th Century the large numbers of German and Eastern European immigrants coming into the United States almost guaranteed a respectable number of beer gardens in America.
The cities and towns where these groups created communities supported numerous beer gardens, especially during the first decade of the 1900s. Unfortunately they began to lose favor with the public, first because of Prohibition, and then with the anti-German sentiment of WWII, causing most beer gardens in America to disappear.
Thankfully for our Oktoberfest fixation beer gardens are making a comeback. So much so that Travel and Leisure magazine is calling them “The new coffee shop – a place for craft brews and casual vibe.” Two of the top beer gardens now in the U.S. are on each coast, and cover the very old and the very new. And each is in a destination where a timeshare rental can be had for a wonderfully budget-friendly price.
1. Bohemian Hall, New York City. Located in Queens, Bohemian Hall was built at the beginning of the last century and is the last of New York’s original beer gardens. Ostensibly a cultural center dedicated to preserving the Czech and Slavic communities, it is also as authentic a beer garden as you can get in the U.S.
When the weather is warm you can enjoy sitting outside in a wide-open space surrounded by a high wall, seating several hundred people comfortably at picnic tables shaded by big old trees. If October’s changeable weather brings a chill, the indoor dining hall opens.
Order up tasty dishes that are from Old Country recipes, including grilled sausages and red cabbage salad, and wash it all down with Czech and German beer. Throughout the year there is live Czech and Slavak festival music both inside the dining hall and outdoors on a stage.
During the fall you can get a New York City timeshare rental starting as low as $169/night.
2. Stone Brewing Company, San Diego. Founded in 1996 as a 55,000 sq. foot brewery, the Stone Brewing Co’s owners took the next obvious step in 2006 and built the beer garden, a term they took literally. Planting pine, elm and olive trees, along with a koi pond, and installing tables with umbrellas resulted in a beautiful one-acre garden where you can sample 36 different craft beers.
Oktoberfest is a major celebration here, and if Southern California’s mild weather cools a bit the festivities continue thanks to outdoor heat lamps and a retractable roof. The garden Bistro features an eclectic menu of world-inspired cuisine and a “unique take on comfort food” all prepared from in-season, local organic produce.
Find a great budget-friendly San Diego timeshare rental, starting at just $70/night.
Photo Credit (1): mas.org
Photo Credit(2): sandiegomagazine.com