Detroit gets drunk as a community
Colin Joliat When one thinks of Detroit, garden is not one of the first images to come to mind. Abandonment, crime, hate, and even some things not related to the WNBA Shock are typically on the tip of most people’s tongues, but that may be about to change. No, the crazy idea of turning Detroit into an urban farming mecca are not finally coming to fruition, but some of the vacant land is being put to better use, at least for a short time.
For the next four weekends, a vacant property is playing host to a pop-up, European-style beer garden. Tashmoo Biergarten is the brainchild of Suzanne Vier and Aaron Wagner, who “wanted to give my neighbors something Detroit does not yet have.” If my recollection serves me, there are quite a few things that Detroit doesn’t have, but this is certainly a good start. At a minimum it’s something to show people that there’s more to Detroit than just hockey, Eminem, and the Chrysler 300. The event features rows of communal tables (made from the reclaimed wood of demolished structures, if you’re into that sort of thing ), a rotating selection of Michigan beers, various local food vendors, and games. No word yet on beer wenches, but as it’s a family atmosphere, I highly doubt it.
“I love how traditional eastern European beer gardens are open outdoor spaces within an urban landscape that have a communal feel. They’re a great place for people within a community to come together while drinking a beer, having a bite to eat, or playing a game of chess outdoors with their neighbors,” says Vier.
With the exception of a horde of beers attempting to get drunk for free, it sounds as if the grand opening last weekend was a success. If you can go into Detroit to drink with old friends and meet new ones, and the worst thing that comes of it is a bee sting? I’d say you did alright. For those of you near the “D,” I’d recommend going to check this place out. Beers are only $4/$6 and food prices were described as “reasonable,” so it’s no more expensive than a trip to the bar. It’s not often that something like this comes around, but with any luck they it will be financially feasible and popular enough to return when the weather breaks next spring. I wouldn’t mind seeing pop-up beer gardens become the next big trend for public intoxication.
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