What could be better than a refreshing beer during this hot and summary season? After refreshing my memory on my recent trip to Germany, I was inspired to write about the “German Beer Culture”. Beer - or as the monks prefer to call it, liquid food - is one of the quintessential German food groups. Along with bread and potatoes, it forms the holy carbohydrate trinity. Anyway, check out tidbits on the history of beer, the German beer purity laws, and much more, all on skinnychef.com …

We were inspired to write this article after visiting a truly authentic beer garden in Astoria, Bohemian Hall. Sharing pitchers of beer under an open sky and having conversations with total strangers on communal benches while catching a whiff of delectable sausages is what a real beer garten is all about. Bohemian Hall is located on 29-19 24th Avenue, between 29th and 31st street, Astoria, Queens.