Beer Steins and Glasses

by Terry Engel, contributing writer

This time, let’s look at my favorite restaurant in Epcot, the Biergarten restaurant in Epcot’s Germany Pavilion.

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“Biergarten” is a German word for “beer garden,” which in Germany is usually an outdoor venue where they serve beer and food, usually as part of a pub or beer hall. Although Epcot’s version is not outdoors, the Biergarten restaurant is designed to look as if it is—themed as being in the heart of a Bavarian village, this sprawling festival haus uses long communal table seating, on several tiers so that everyone can enjoy a great view of the stage. Here Oktoberfest is celebrated every day of the year!

Biergarten is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. for lunch and dinner, and serves an unlimited buffet of classic German and Bavarian food. This is a restaurant where you can often walk up without an Advance Dining Reservation (ADR) and still be seated. Keep in mind that the long communal tables seat eight people, so servers seat smaller groups with others.

Inside Biergarten, you can take in the festive evening atmosphere even if it’s high noon outside. The large indoor spaces give a true sense of being in an outdoor garden just after twilight while nestled among the buildings of a quaint German village. There is even a moon rising over one end of the great space.

A traditional German band performs throughout the day. The multi-talented musicians play various different instruments such as the glockenspiel, bells, and even alphorns during each set (an “alp horn” is what you see in the old Ricola cough drop commercials). There is even a dance floor in front of the stage where your whole family can take part in a polka or the “Chicken Dance.” As is the Epcot World Showcase tradition of pavilions hiring people from their home countries, the servers are, of course, all from Germany. And let’s not forget the beer. You order these in large one-liter steins, and you can choose from a light pilsner or a weizen (wheat) beer to a dark bock beer. Germany is also home to many different wine regions, and those are also featured here. Schnapps and shots are also available.

The buffet spread is quite extensive and features a wide variety of German meats and sausages such as bratwurst, schnitzel, chicken, and salmon, as well as sides like spaetzel, sauerkraut, red cabbage, and potato dumplings. Beef rouladen, sauerbraten, and potato dumplings are usually available only as dinner items

Here you can get traditional warm German potato salad as well as many other cold salad items. The bread selection consists of dinner rolls, a rich pumpernickel, and pretzel bread. The daily soup is usually a cream soup of potato or cauliflower, and a carving station in the center of the buffet area features roast pork and German meatloaf, along with various mustards, sauces, and chutneys.

Be sure and save room for dessert. My personal favorites are the light and fluffy Bavarian cheesecake and the traditional apple strudel with vanilla sauce. An added treat is to spoon a little of the vanilla sauce over the mixed berry compote.

As of early 2012, lunch runs $24.99 for adults and $13.99 for children, while dinner is $35.99 for adults and $18.99 for children. All non-alcoholic beverages are included with the meal. All the usual credit cards are accepted along with the Disney Dining Plan and Tables in Wonderland.

by Terry Engel, contributing writer

This time, let’s look at my favorite restaurant in Epcot, the Biergarten restaurant in Epcot’s Germany Pavilion.

advertisement

“Biergarten” is a German word for “beer garden,” which in Germany is usually an outdoor venue where they serve beer and food, usually as part of a pub or beer hall. Although Epcot’s version is not outdoors, the Biergarten restaurant is designed to look as if it is—themed as being in the heart of a Bavarian village, this sprawling festival haus uses long communal table seating, on several tiers so that everyone can enjoy a great view of the stage. Here Oktoberfest is celebrated every day of the year!

Biergarten is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. for lunch and dinner, and serves an unlimited buffet of classic German and Bavarian food. This is a restaurant where you can often walk up without an Advance Dining Reservation (ADR) and still be seated. Keep in mind that the long communal tables seat eight people, so servers seat smaller groups with others.

Inside Biergarten, you can take in the festive evening atmosphere even if it’s high noon outside. The large indoor spaces give a true sense of being in an outdoor garden just after twilight while nestled among the buildings of a quaint German village. There is even a moon rising over one end of the great space.

A traditional German band performs throughout the day. The multi-talented musicians play various different instruments such as the glockenspiel, bells, and even alphorns during each set (an “alp horn” is what you see in the old Ricola cough drop commercials). There is even a dance floor in front of the stage where your whole family can take part in a polka or the “Chicken Dance.” As is the Epcot World Showcase tradition of pavilions hiring people from their home countries, the servers are, of course, all from Germany. And let’s not forget the beer. You order these in large one-liter steins, and you can choose from a light pilsner or a weizen (wheat) beer to a dark bock beer. Germany is also home to many different wine regions, and those are also featured here. Schnapps and shots are also available.

The buffet spread is quite extensive and features a wide variety of German meats and sausages such as bratwurst, schnitzel, chicken, and salmon, as well as sides like spaetzle, sauerkraut, red cabbage, and potato dumplings. Beef rouladen, sauerbraten, and potato dumplings are usually available only as dinner items

Here you can get traditional warm German potato salad as well as many other cold salad items. The bread selection consists of dinner rolls, a rich pumpernickel, and pretzel bread. The daily soup is usually a cream soup of potato or cauliflower, and a carving station in the center of the buffet area features roast pork and German meatloaf, along with various mustards, sauces, and chutneys.

Be sure and save room for dessert. My personal favorites are the light and fluffy Bavarian cheesecake and the traditional apple strudel with vanilla sauce. An added treat is to spoon a little of the vanilla sauce over the mixed berry compote.

As of early 2012, lunch runs $24.99 for adults and $13.99 for children, while dinner is $35.99 for adults and $18.99 for children. All non-alcoholic beverages are included with the meal. All the usual credit cards are accepted along with the Disney Dining Plan and Tables in Wonderland.

[Lowball Diary]

A liter of brew at the Bavarian beer house will set you back $14.95-$15.95.

An old Scottish prayer begs for deliverance from “long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night.” At Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas, modeled after a 423-year-old Bavarian institution, the beasties are corseted barmaids slinging shots, the bumps are spankings, and nobody wants to be delivered. If you buy a T-shirt the spankers will sign it, though I know a guy who convinced one to jot “Olga was here” above his crack instead.

But Hofbräu’s promise of “Oktoberfest every day” goes way beyond Olga. She’s there primarily to serve beer in steins so enormous that hoisting one qualifies as a workout. There is a half-liter option, but tourists love tackling the two-liter boot—the equivalent of nearly six American beers.

On a recent Saturday I split the difference with a liter of seasonal brew ($15.95). It was dark without being thick and strong without being bitter, and my comrades attested to the tastiness of Hofbräu original lager, dunkel and hefeweizen ($14.95). All are imported from Munich, where beer is crafted with the same finesse as a BMW. Hoping to avoid utter drunkenness before it was fully dark outside, we ordered a Jumbo Complete soft pretzel. It’s meal-priced at $13.50, but one hot, fluffy, salty knot feeds a foursome and comes with two mustard dips and a spread of brie, butter and spices devilish enough to deserve its own love tap from Olga’s paddle.

Photo: Beverly Poppe

Trio Musischwung entertains at the Bavarian beer house.

The featured band, Trio Musischwung, whipped the main hall into a frenzy of singing and swinging steins. They played “Sweet Caroline” and oompah classics, the U.S. national anthem and the Ricola commercial’s three-note ditty. Hearing the Star Wars theme on the alpenhorn was almost as surprising as the trumpet solo played between the legs of the accordionist, who didn’t even flinch. But the biggest shock of the night was the Canadian grandma who almost pulled an upset in the stein-holding contest. A full liter weighs 3 pounds, and she held it at arm’s length longer than most of the men, ultimately losing to a hipster in a plunging V-neck (if the Vancouver Olympics taught us anything, it’s that Canada can’t quite get there in the clutch).

My arm, admittedly about as buff as a Q-tip, ached just holding the empty glass, so I decided to change it up at Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar. A Texas brand, Pete’s calls for a gunslinger-friendly drink that makes up in potency what it lacks in girth. In short, whiskey. I favor a little smoke on the finish, but the vinegar aftertaste of Hofbräu cabbage called for something sweeter. Crown on the rocks melts just right (way to redeem yourself, Canada!), and Pete’s didn’t add any unnecessary water.

Neither did it water down the entertainment for faint-of-hearts in the audience. Three musicians played the hell out of two pianos, mixing in some raunchy sit-down, stand-up comedy. We’re talking LMFAO, Kenny Rogers and a very dirty version of the Hokey Pokey. Their “Sweet Caroline” got a better response from the crowd than Musischwung got at Hofbräu, but to be fair, there were more Texans in the house.

Photo: Beverly Poppe

The Town Square bar offers dueling piano action—and some raunchy comedy.

They dominated the classic country tearjerker “Lucille” and the supplemental chorus of “you bitch, you slut, you whore,” directed at one lucky spectator (in this case, a bald guy who was not amused). But the musicians flipped the mood completely by spotlighting a young man on his last night out before deploying to Afghanistan. Other men and women in the service joined him onstage for “God Bless the U.S.A.,” and for a moment, a bunch of hammered strangers were part of something bigger, something powerful.

The bachelorette sucking booze out of a fishbowl brought me back to Earth, to the cigarette smoke and the Texans exuberantly spanking each other (at least they weren’t charging). My group waited and waited for the pianist who looks like Meat Loaf to play some Meat Loaf, but apparently, a $5 tip is low priority—even more disappointing when we realized we could have gotten a third of a Hofbräu pretzel instead. Sometimes, punishment is just punishment.

© 2005 – 2012 Swift Communications, Inc.

© 2005 – 2012 Swift Communications, Inc.

© 2005 – 2012 Swift Communications, Inc.

© 2005 – 2012 Swift Communications, Inc.

© 2005 – 2012 Swift Communications, Inc.

© 2005 – 2012 Swift Communications, Inc.

Fast cars, conceptual art and great steins of beer might all come to mind when you think of Germany, but the country situated in the heart of Europe offers more than you might expect. And here’s a tip: Germany river cruises are an unparalleled way to experience the hidden allure of the country.

Cruising Germany’s rivers, like the Rhine and the Moselle, shows you a different side of Germany. Here you’ll find tiny villages of half-timbered houses, age-old vineyards clinging to dramatic slate hillsides and historic castles replete with legends and an air of fairy tales about them.

Germany river tours give you the opportunity to cover a lot of territory, and to do so in comfort. With all meals aboard the riverboat included, and luxurious accommodations fully arranged, any traveler can get an in-depth view of the country. Companies like Tauck offer those amenities, in addition to shore excursions with unique opportunities to delve into local culture.

Germany’s rich history and multifaceted culture come to the forefront when you visit places such as these:

* Baden-Baden. The elegance of the Belle Epoque is still alive and well in the classic spa town of Baden-Baden, which has been famous for its springs and thermal baths since Roman times. Take a stroll through the heart of the old city and visit the Kurhaus casino, which is as worthwhile a destination for its decorative beauty as it is for games of chance.

* The Rhine. The Middle Rhine combines natural beauty and cultural history in a unique way. The broad expanse of the river, the villages that line its banks and the castles that overlook it give visitors a visual feast. Listen to the story of the Lorelei as you cruise along, lost in the atmospheric scenery.

* Heidelberg. Arrestingly beautiful Heidelberg captured the heart of Mark Twain (he lived here for three months), and it may well take yours, too. The famed university town straddles the Neckar river, a major Rhine tributary, and is connected by a scenic bridge. The quaint streets of the old town are perfect for meandering, but save energy for exploring Heidelbergschloss, the romantic castle that overlooks the town.

* Cochem and the Moselle Valley. Situated on a bend in the Moselle river, Cochem is a classic German river town. Reichsburg Castle, estimated to have been built around the year 1,000, still overlooks the town and provides sweeping views for visitors. While Cochem itself is a highlight of the Moselle, the entire winding river valley is dotted with charming towns and rich with wine-producing heritage. Don’t miss the opportunity to try some of the local white wines, which are some of the world’s finest.

* Trier. The oldest city in Germany, Trier offers plenty of surprises for visitors. In addition to classic German architecture and river bluff scenery, you’ll find an ancient city gate, the Porta Nigra, and ruins of Roman baths and an amphitheater, as well as the imposing Trier cathedral and the birthplace of Karl Marx.

Those who take Germany river tours along the Rhine and Moselle valleys get to know a different side of this economic powerhouse of a country. Experiencing the culture and landscape of the region might just leave you with an entirely new impression of Germany.