German Beer Gardens

German beer gardens of the late 19th century were truly glorious. The beer gardens in Germany were impressive, mainly outdoor venues to enjoy the beautiful weather. German-American immigrants brought their love of lager and beer gardens to American cities like Milwaukee and New York City. Germans made up the single largest immigrant group in 19th century America. My own great-grandfather came to America from Dresden in 1927. Polka music and German tasty delicacies filled the air. Unlike the male-dominated saloon, beer gardens were family friendly venues for everyone to relax, eat, stroll, and enjoy music, vaudeville acts and bowling.

Naturally, there was plenty of famous German lager but I wondered what food was served! Pabst, Anheuser Busch and Coors, all German immigrants, changed the face of American beer forever, by introducing their brewing techniques and lager to the American palate. Food appeased the temperance crusaders and made it more like a restaurant than a bar. Typical German fare like sausage, pretzels, sauerkraut, dark bread, potato salad, blutwurst, pickled herring, ham and pig feet were served at these beer gardens. Free saloon lunches across the country served less tempting treats like sardellen, sardines on rye, and the “cannibal sandwich”, raw ground beef on bread with slivered raw onion. The recipe I’m sharing today is a bit more mainstream, the classic German potato salad.

“Cannibal sandwich”-raw ground beef on bread with raw onion, served at saloons & beer gardens

Traditional German potato salad (recipe below)

Schlitz brewing company opened it’s truly wonderful beer garden in 1896 in Milwaukee next door it the Schlitz Hotel. This beer hall was modeled in the shape of a beer bottle, and very appropriate for the time, was covered in potted palm trees. Another famous beer garden was New York City’s Atlantic Garden, which opened in 1858.

Schlitz Palm Garden, Milwaukee 1896

Sadly German beer gardens of the turn of the century died with prohibition and anti-german sentiment of World War 1. Thankfully, the American beer industry has recognized the joy of German beer gardens and revived this beautiful tradition.

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German Potato Salad

Yield: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. small red potatoes
• 12 ounces of bacon (diced)
• 1 sweet yellow onion (diced)
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons white sugar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Chives or parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Add potatoes to a large cold pot of water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain potatoes and reserve. When they are cool enough to handle, quarter the potatoes and add to a large mixing bowl.
2. Dice the bacon into small matchsticks. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until lightly browned. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon. Add bacon to the bowl of cooked potatoes. With the bacon fat still in the pan, cook the diced onion in the pan until golden brown over medium heat, about 5-10 minutes.
3. Take the pan off the heat. Add vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Add the vinaigrette to the bowl of potatoes and bacon. Stir very well and use a spoon to break up the potatoes a bit to fully absorb the vinaigrette. Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt and pepper. Garnish with chives or parsley. Serve with bratwurst or roasted chicken. Best served warm or room temperature.

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