Beer gardens history is tied to the invention of lager beer in Bavaria. Unlike the ales that all the world drank until the mid-nineteenth century, the lager yeast discovered in Bavaria required a much cooler fermentation temperature. And unlike ales, after fermentation, the lagers needed to age in a cool environment. This was pre-refrigeration, so Bavarian brewers dug out huge underground cellars for lagering these beers. To keep these cellars even cooler, they planted shade trees above them, and scattered gravel over the area. This provided the perfect environment for outdoor drinking. Someone put tables and chairs beneath the trees and the beer garden culture was born. Beer gardens have since become popular destinations for gathering outdoors and enjoying conversations, tasty food, and beer. Typically, they include long communal tables that promote conversation and interaction. Goat Island has recently invested in nine long beautiful wooden tables at Goat Island, to capture that communal aesthetic of the beer Gardens in Germany. Goat Island also has a nice outdoor beer garden outside. We will be hosting our fourth annual Goatoberfest celebration on September 23rd. We will be expanding our beer garden to include German food, five bands, jumpy houses, face painting, goat petting and more. This will be the kick-off for Cullman’s Oktoberfest festival week, which will have many festivities at the Fest Hall and Depot Park, starting Thursday, September 29th and going through Saturday October 1st. One of the main attractions is the iconic Cullman Oktoberfest Biergarten.

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