As the LA Times writes, the German tradition of Beer Gardens do become popular in Southern California:
Beer gardens growing in Southern California, with a twist
Although some follow German tradition, many of the establishments in the Los Angeles area have interpreted old-fashioned beer gardens through the prism of local diversity and hipness.
Lederhosen aren’t required, but new German-influenced beer gardens are popping up in Southern California.
A few are closely patterned after the traditional biergartens that originated in 19th century Bavaria to serve plebeian brews in outdoor settings.
But many of the establishments in the Los Angeles area have interpreted old-fashioned beer gardens through the prism of local diversity and hipness. They serve a variety of foods, including Asian fusion, and microbrews that are hardly populist.
Even the downtown Standard hotel — a destination for hipsters — opened a beer garden on its roof this month, featuring blond woods and servers with T-shirts screen-printed to resemble the suspenders of traditional lederhosen and the blouses of dirndl costumes.
“At the Standard, the beer garden may seem sleek, but it’s also really both authentic and rather simple, if not rustic,” said hotel owner Andre Balazs, who had already put a beer garden in his Standard in New York.
The fare at the Standard bar might include traditional items such as sausages, pretzels and strudel, but they were planned by chef Kurt Gutenbrunner, a favorite with New York foodies.
The real attraction of beer gardens, no matter what they serve, could be the outdoor, convivial setting.
“The whole spirit of the European beer garden is very much of community and playfulness,” Balazs said. “It’s an experience that’s translatable everywhere.”
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