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T here’s no need to travel all the way to Berlin for an authentic, Oktoberfest-worthy biergarten experience. Just head south to historic Lewisburg—it’s closer by 4,000 miles as the crow flies. The name of the place you’ll find there is the Briergarten. That’s a twist on the German word for “beer garden” that incorporates an homage to Greenbrier County. It opened in spring 2021 and has quickly become a popular spot. The project reimagined part of Stratton Alley in downtown Lewisburg, and the vision and follow-through were completed by a local development company. Lewisburg residents Mary and Josh Baldwin are the public face Better with Beer Check out the one and only Briergarten on your next trip to Lewisburg. written by holly leleux-thubron photographed by nikki bowman mills
The watering hole offers 17 taps—the most in Lewisburg, Baldwin says—with rotating beers all listed on two giant chalkboards that greet visitors upon arrival. “The left chalkboard includes all of our lighter European-style beers, the pilsners, lagers, and kolsches. The right board lists our darker beers. We really try to focus on European and West Virginia favorites poured in chilled half- or full-liter mugs—we’re on the metric system here.” Briergarten also offers light fare, including bratwurst sourced from Schaller &Weber, a New York City–based German butcher and sausage market that’s been in operation for more than 100 years. Healthy dollops of carefully sourced German mustards as well as a local hot dog sauce dubbed A Reformed Lawyer: Criminally Good Hot Dog Sauce have already become crowd favorites. If you’re looking for a place to celebrate beer’s favorite season, head south to the Briergarten for the Oktoberfest celebration—
of the establishment, and two other couples remain behind the scenes. All were delighted to bring something new to the community. “It’s a really special place,” Josh Baldwin says. “The atmosphere transports you to some place else, and that’s something we could all use after the last couple of years.” At Briergarten, you’ll find an expansive space with an industrial feel. The massive glass garage door can be completely opened, giving the effect of removing an entire wall and creating a true indoor–outdoor space. The door has been wide- open almost every day since customers were first welcomed into the space and, with COVID-19 still lurking, Baldwin says, it makes for a great drinking spot.
planned for October 2—with festivities from live music to German food and contests on the docket all day. 121 Stratton Alley, Lewisburg, 304.520.4039, briergarten.com
62 wvliving.com • fall 2021
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