America’s Best Beer Garden Is In North Carolina
For beer lovers, there might not be a better place to enjoy a glass of ale or lager than at a beer garden or, as the Germans spell it, biergarten. You’re outside, among friends, with your favorite beverage. What’s not to love?
Europeans perfected the art of imbibing in the great outdoors. I first fell in love with the beer garden experience on a trip to Prague in the ’90s. But America eventually caught up and now we can enjoy the simple pleasure of the beer garden from coast to coast.
Men’s Journal recently ranked their six favorite beer gardens in the U.S. and four of them are in the southeast. Their top pick is here in North Carolina. At the end of the list below, I’ve added some Charlotte beer gardens that are also worth visiting.
1. Raleigh Beer Garden (Raleigh, NC)
- More than 350 beers on tap (Guinness World Record)
- Live music
- Trivia nights
- Drag brunches
- Pet-friendly
2. Lowry Beer Garden (Denver, CO)
- Former Air Force base
- More than 9,000 square feet
- Communal picnic tables can seat 500 guests
- Locally made brats, freshly baked pretzels, house-ground burgers
3. Schulz Bräu (Knoxville, TN)
- Owned by a family from Germany
- 2,500-square-foot tap room in a castle
- All furniture in 6,000-square-foot biergarten came from Germany
- Award-winning beer recipes follow Reinheitsgebot (German beer purity law of 1516 limiting ingredients to only malt, water, hops, and yeast)
- Schnitzel Kitchen features Bavarian cheese, wiener schnitzel, currywurst
4. Fermented Reality Biergarten (Tampa, FL)
- More than 40 local and international beers on tap
- Prime waterfront location in downtown Tampa’s new Water Street neighborhood
- Lush outdoor garden space
5. Estabrook Beer Garden (Milwaukee, WI)
- Modeled after beer gardens found in modern-day Munich.
- Located in public park overlooking the Milwaukee River
- Visitors to arrive by foot, bike, kayak, canoe, or car
- Selection of beers imported from Munich Hofbräuhaus
- Pack a picnic or order traditional Bavarian fare
6. Moon River Brewing Company (Savannah, GA)
- Open since 1999, it’s known as Savannah’s original brewpub
- Located in one of Savannah’s oldest buildings (1821) and rumored to be haunted
- Featured on Ghost Hunters and Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures
- 5,400-square-foot beer garden accommodates up to 200 people
- All beer produced on-site in 15-barrel copper-clad brewhouse
Here are some beer gardens to check out in Charlotte:
- The Olde Mecklenburg Brewing & Biergarten (4150 Yancey Road)
- Sycamore Brewing Beer Garden (2161 Hawkins Street)
- VBGB Beer Hall and Garden (920 Hamilton Street)
- Charlotte Beer Garden (1300 S. Tryon Street)
VBGB Beer Hall and Garden (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
