How to Turn Your Backyard into a Beer Garden

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Why have a plain old barbecue when you can host an Oktoberfest? Make it authentic with these tips.

Step 1: Set up picnic tables
Set up wooden picnic tables with tablecloths featuring the blue-and-white checkered design of the Bavarian flag. If possible, put the tables under a shaded area.

Tip
It's better to have one long table rather than a few small ones, because beer gardens are all about mingling.

Step 2: Have plenty of beer
Have plenty of German beer on hand, including light beer, lagers, pilsners, and wheat beer. Serve the beer in half-liter or liter mugs, or covered beer steins.

Tip
Have some German wine on hand, like Riesling and Spatburgunder, for non-beer drinkers.

Step 3: Throw wurst on the grill
Grill different kinds of sausages, like bratwurst, weisswurst, and knockwurst. Another beer garden staple is "steckerlfisch," or "fish on a stick." Stick whole mackerel on skewers and grill them.

Step 4: Prepare the side dishes
Put out bowls of sauerkraut, warm German potato salad, and red cabbage. Make sure each picnic table has a big basket of soft pretzels and sweet, coarse mustard.

Step 5: Pipe in some polka
Pipe in some oom pah pah polka music.

Step 6: Give a lot of toasts
Ask everyone to raise their glass so you can offer a toast. When you're finished, say "Prost!" which is the German word for "Cheers!" Do this often.

Step 7: Bring on dessert
Have apple strudel or black forest cake for dessert, and serve it with ice coffees topped with fresh whipped cream.

Did You Know?
One of the most famous beer gardens is Munich is called the Chinesischer Turm, or Chinese Tower, because of its pagoda-style building.