The Outdoor Beer Companion

Do you know what a Bierdeckel is? Matthew and I spend a few minutes on it in this short video. It might be the most useful beer gadget you can carry. Matthew calls it one of the handiest things you can bring to a beer garden. It also has some legit history.

Why beer gardens need one

Chestnut trees go hand in hand with German beer gardens. They mature quickly and give lots of shade. Their shallow roots do not disturb the beer cellars underground. Sitting in that shade beats a gazebo, because you are in nature. But chestnut trees have one downfall, which is falling chestnuts, plus twigs, branches and leaves. Something can flop into your beer. So can an insect. Thus the Bierdeckel.

How it works

It is a really simple device, a piece of wood with a little indentation. Regulars pop one out of a pocket and set it right on top of the beer, which protects against falling objects and flies. You may have seen the fancier steins with a metal closure, but those are heavy and expensive and you cannot move them from one beer garden to the next. With a Bierdeckel you use whatever glassware the garden gives you, which is half the fun, then put the lid in your pocket and take it to the next beer.

When I first heard about these I thought they were the silliest thing ever, then Matthew told me people really do have their own and bring them along. I love that. I am headed to Schlenkerla in a couple of months and will be picking one up. Matthew points out it is just as handy at home barbecuing, since everyone has had a fly go into their beer.

Verdict and a warning

We will do more videos on beer gadgets. Most are pretty silly. This one is actually useful, legit, traditional, cheap and old school. Our advice is to get a cool one. The one we show carries a message that translates, as we understand it, to as long as there is life, there is hope, which struck us as dark. Maybe it is the German live, laugh, love. Matthew compares it to wearing a brewery t-shirt to another brewery. You get either German beer hipsters or really old dudes.

Watch the video above, it is quick. Then share your favorite beer garden gear in the Beer Scholar community on Skool. See Beer Wanderers for more on German beer culture. Matthew also runs virtual beer tastings for date nights and corporate events. Email him at [email protected].

Cheers! –Chris