Five fantastic New York City beer gardens

With the temperatures rising, now is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy a drink (or twelve). And there's no place better to mix booze and sunshine than at one of the Big Apple's many excellent outdoor beer gardens. These fun spots will have you raising an oversized stein to good times with good friends -- over (one too many) good beers.


Lorely Restaurant & Biergarten: It doesn't get any more German than Lorely. Located on the Lower East Side, this truly authentic old-school beer garden looks like a piece of Bavaria landed in the Big Apple. From the frosty imported German brew to the delicious German grub, Lorely is legit. This brewhouse even had its tables made by a designer in Cologne. 7 Rivington Street. Stay nearby at the GEM Hotel SoHo.


Biergarten:The hotelier behind the Standard Hotel, André Balazs, offers up an intimate and easy-going outdoor locale to down some adult beverages in the Meatpacking District. Located under the elevated High Line Park, Biergarten has plenty of picnic tables for groups to meet up, chomp on some large pretzels or perfectly grilled sausages, and wash down that goodness with a wheat, light or dark tap beer. 848 Washington Street. Stay nearby at The Standard Hotel.


Zum Schneider: This East Village indoor booze hall provides guests with long tables and benches that will fit large groups for a night out together. Order up one of their tasty 12 beers on tap and snack on the never empty bowls of pretzels. Do not be too surprised if you are raising your stein often, as group toasts are quite popular when hanging out here. If being outdoors is a priority, you can sit at one of the sidewalk tables. 107 Avenue C. Stay nearby at the Thompson LES.


Radegast Hall & Biergarten: Only in Brooklyn could two run down warehouses be gutted and turned into one hell of a beer hall. Slovakian-born business partners Ivan Kohut and Andy Ivanov offer up some of the best wurst in Williamsburg and have plenty of ice cold beer to go along with it. The hall serves up 45 draft beers and 13 suds on tap, and in the beautiful garden area you can sample delicious grilled German fare under a retractable roof. 113 North 3rd Street. Stay nearby at the Hotel on Rivington.


Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden: No list of New York beer gardens would be complete without mentioning the area's oldest one located just outside the island of Manhattan. Take a quick train ride over the Queensboro Bridge to the neighborhood of Astoria and soak up some suds at the wildly popular Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden. Celebrating 100 years of pouring pints for visiting and local lushes, this house of booze was first used as a place for Czech and Slovak immigrants to meet up and socialize. 2919 24th Avenue. Stay nearby at the Four Seasons New York, just a short subway ride away.


_- Andrew Hickey of _The Brooklyn Nomad__


[Photo courtesy of Flickr: wallyg]