Looking for a dose of German culture? Thanks to Das Bock, you’ll only need to take a trip to Franklin Square instead of Frankfurt to get it.
124-year-old Plattduetsche Biergarten, a staple of German culture and tradition on Long Island, is hosting its third annual Das Bock beer and lager festival on Saturday, May 17, in conjunction with Think New York, Drink New York, and the New York State Craft Brewers Association.
The event will run from noon to 5 p.m. in Plattduetsche’s outdoor, almost park-like biergarten, which can accommodate thousands, and their outdoor kitchen, a covered, open-air pavilion space that can accommodate roughly 300.
“You’re almost transformed to Germany by coming here,” said Matthew Buch, Plattduetsche’s general manager. “We’re really thrilled to bring our traditional biergarten to life with this kind of a festival.”
Tickets to the festival are $55 online on Plattduetsche’s website and $65 at the door, Buch said.
Tickets include festival entry, an authentic .5L bier stein and unlimited beer tastings from over 45 New York breweries. Most of the breweries have prepared a lager for the event, though Buch said that all kinds of beer will be poured.
He added that though unlimited tasting pours are offered to all, the festival will ensure that people are served responsibly.
“Ensuring everybody’s safety is a number one priority,” Buch said, adding that free water stations will be available throughout the biergarten. “Everybody gets reevaluated before each and every pour so that they can continue to have a good time with us. ”
But the festival has much more to offer than beer, Buch said. The band Die Spitzbaum—or “The Young Rascals”, for those who don’t speak German—will play a mix of traditional German music, classic rock, country and more throughout the afternoon.
So, for those not looking to drink, Plattduetsche is offering a $20 designated driver ticket, which also includes an authentic .5L bier stein and festival entry, a $5 off coupon for food and access to the designated driver’s lounge.
Plattduetsche will be serving traditional German fare, including giant Bavarian pretzels, bratwursts, German potato salad, potato pancakes, and Bavarian sliders, as well as festival food, including cheeseburgers, buffalo chicken wings and fries, chicken sandwiches, salad, beef nachos, and sausage and peppers on a roll throughout the festival. All purchases must be made in cash only.
“What better way to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon than supporting local breweries and sampling local beers that you weren’t aware of and maybe even finding a new favorite beer,” Buch said. “To have all these local breweries here is just a great sense of community and culture. And, what better way to celebrate that culture than through food, drink and music?”
Plattduetsche will continue selling Das Bock tickets through the day of the festival until capacity is reached.
