How I Go Columbia: Bierkeller Beer Gardens’ Scott Burgess
University of South Carolina graduate Scott Burgess developed a love for German beer starting in 1993 during his years as a USC exchange student and then as a Fulbright Scholar in Bamberg, Germany. After returning to Columbia in 2001, Burgess’ love turned into a passion – one that has recently evolved into a career. This summer, Burgess plans to introduce the first of what he hopes will be about a dozen pop-up German-style beer gardens in the Midlands. The first products to be introduced there: Burgess’ own line of Bierkeller Beer – including a Kölumbianer (a Kölsch-style light lager) and a Kellerbier (an unfiltered farmhouse lager).
The time and date of the first beer garden will be announced soon on Burgess’ website, bierkellercolumbia.com and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/bierkellercolumbia. The location – Guignard Brick Works – has already been set.
EAT: I moved from Columbia to Germany back in the 1990s and some of my favorites from those days remain so today. I still take out-of-towners to Motor Supply Co., with its daily changing menu and great, locally sourced food. Hunter-Gatherer is another go-to. They have one of my favorite burgers in town and a good selection of simple to upscale. Outside of downtown, Gasthaus zur Elli is a wonderful little German restaurant in Prosperity that is owned and operated by Wendy Steiner. Go for the authentic German food (and expect to spend the evening, as everything is prepared by hand and to-order) – and stay if you dare… (and if you don’t have impressionable ears with you) for the evening entertainment. Warning: It can be kind of bawdy.
DRINK: I have never been much of a coffee drinker, though I do occasionally like to go to local cafes like Drip and The Local Buzz. For bars, I visit a mix of old-school Columbia standbys like Publick House and Hunter-Gatherer; neighborhood places like The Kraken or Cock N’ Bull; and newer establishments like Craft and Draft, Bourbon and The Whig. Being in the business of brewing beer, I also find myself at local breweries a lot. Bierkeller beers are brewed right here in town and are based on some of my absolute favorite styles I drank while in Germany: a crisp, clean Kölsch like in Cologne; an ultra-fresh Kellerbier like in Franconia; and the darker, bready Braunbier and smoky Rauchbier like in Bamberg.
SEE: I enjoy going to Soda City Market. We have some really excellent vendors, from South Carolina seafood, to local produce, to the Wurst Wagen. I also like going to The Nickelodeon to see movies and to the Three Rivers Greenway trails along the river or Congaree National Park to get a dose of nature. We’re pretty blessed here in terms of waterways and natural resources.
PLAY: I take my son to Riverbanks Zoo – especially for the ropes course – and more recently, to the Columbia Fireflies games. He’s already a big fan of our new baseball team. Gamecock sports are always happening and fun – from soccer, to baseball, to the undeniable excitement of autumn football weekends. Bierkeller’s pop-up beer gardens will be a fun and unique place for families, professionals and students to get together and spend a few relaxing hours drinking fresh, local beer.
LISTEN: Back in the 1990s, I used to spend a lot of time at local music venues like Rockafellas’ and Greenstreets, or The Township, seeing bands like Love Tractor or The Connells or REM. These days, I’m more likely to see bands at the various festivals around town: Mardi Gras Columbia, St. Pat’s in Five Points, Rosewood Crawfish Festival. Plus my friend Tom Hall always throws a great party at his Magnolia Lodge a few miles outside of town in Ridgeway. It’s great to get out and hang at the lodge’s farm, walk through the woods, and come back to listen to some relaxing music. Bierkeller would love to add a beer garden to the mix at some point and see what happens.