Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Despite being a continent away, a touch of Germany made its way onto Long Island, with the annual Oktoberfest celebration at Das Biergarten in Long Beach.
Held on the same day as the start of the festivities in Munich — Sept. 20 — the German establishment was filled with Bavarian tradition, music and cuisine, all for patrons to enjoy.
Das Biergarten — the beer garden in German — is on the border of Atlantic Beach and Long Beach, and was established by Andrew Hetzler in 2014. After pitching concepts for similar restaurants in New York City, Hetzler took the ideas and placed them right near his native Atlantic Beach.
“We are an Americanized version of the traditional, German beer garden experience,” he said. “The original idea was to bring what we call ‘gemütlichkeit’ or togetherness and joy to Long Beach.”
Long Beach’s celebration of Oktoberfest originates far before the creation of Das Biergarten, though, as Hetzler and others would use the resources constructed for Long Beach’s annual Irish Day, also held in late September and early October, to hold their Oktoberfest celebrations.
“Long before [Das Biergarten], we actually started out at The Cabana, after their annual Irish Day celebrations,” Hetzler said. “Because the tent was still up, we would hold a Cabana Oktoberfest the next day, and then we did it in different places in Long Beach.”
Das Biergarten lives up to its namesake, as the Oktoberfest festivities were filled with German brews. Hetzler also prides the beer garden as the home of Das Boot, a boot-shaped mug popularized in the 2006 movie “Beerfest.”
The pride in Oktoberfest didn’t just come through drink, but also cuisine. Traditional Bavarian food offerings filled the stomachs of event goers, munching on the likes of jägerschnitzel, bratwurst, and sauerbraten. After creating an initial menu of German dishes, Hetzler joined his kitchen’s staff during the Covivd-19 pandemic, when food was served in outdoor dining spaces and through takeout orders.
“Their take on sauerbraten was absolutely delicious,” said first-time customer Wayne Schober. “The flavor [of the sauerbraten], the beer with it- truly amazing.”
The culture at the Bavarian restaurant is also a source of pride for Hetzler, whose lineage influenced the family atmosphere both at Das Biergarten and its Oktoberfest celebrations. His father, William, was general chairman of New York City’s German-American Steuben Parade, as well as the chairman of the German-American Hall of Fame.
“The idea from the beginning, even before [Das Biergarten] and when I would do similar festivals, was because of my experience growing up as a kid,” Hetzler said. “The idea of the family, parents eating, drinking, and being merry while the kids have fun, that’s really what it’s all about.”
Traditional Bavarian polka music filled the air at the Oktoberfest, played by local group Celtic Justice. Sometimes, Hetzler will join in on the folk music, singing classic tunes.
“Together we’ll sing ‘ein prosit der gemütlichkeit,’ or a toast, a cheers to togetherness,” Hetzler said. That feeling of togetherness fuels Hetzler’s joy of bringing German tradition to the Atlantic and Long Beach area.
“Some people say that if you enjoy your work, you’ll never work a day in your life,” he added. “That’s how I feel about this place- the togetherness, the family atmosphere, I couldn’t ask for more.”
