Maifest Beer Dinner at Pilsener Haus Biergarten

In Spring of 2012, guests at Pilsener Haus can welcome warm weather with a traditional MaiFest, beginning with a Pig Roast and Keg Tapping on Friday, April 20, and running through May.  When the founders of Pilsener Haus & Biergarten opened the doors, their ambition was to present the first truly authentic European biergarten to the beer lovers and diners of New Jersey.  On the heels of Oktoberfest, their first big festival, Maifest looks to be another vibrant and time-honored festival of beer, food and music.

On Tuesday May 1, Pilsener Haus’ Chef Thomas Ferlesch will offer a very special Maifest Bier Dinner.  Vienna-born and trained, Chef Ferlesch’s presence makes the Haus a NJ dining destination, and he is eminently qualified to bring this  special four-course Austro-Hungarian Spring repast to the Biergarten.  Available at $65 per guest (incl. tax & gratuity), and paired with five premium Maibock beers, the dinner will consist of:

• Smoked Trout Palatschinken – crepe, sauerkraut, smoked trout, mushroom cream sauce
• Salad – arugula, artichoke, avocado with garlic lemon dressing, spring cheese crostini
• Sauerbraten – beef shoulder, braised in red wine, apple cider, juniper berries, with pretzel dumplings, caramelized pearl onions, bacon
• Chocolate hazelnut crepe, hot fudge sauce

Each beer will be introduced to guests in an evening-long “guided tour” of Maibock brews with Lon Lauteriou of Nash Distributors (winner of 3 Great American Beer Fest Gold Medals & 3 World Beer Cup Gold Medals, including Best In The World for Pilsener – he knows his beer!)

Domestic and imported Maibock beers will be the special seasonal offerings during MaiFest: the maibock style is a helles lager brewed to bock strength, but lighter in color and with more hop presence. It is a refreshing beer, frequently associated with springtime and the month of May.  At Pilsener Haus, guests can also toast Springtime with a Radler de Blanche de Brussels, a housemade lemon-lime sorbet/beer cocktail.

Music is as much a part of MaiFest as the food and beer.  Grammy-nominated Alex Meixner’s Band will rock the Haus on April 20th and on May 19th.  Meixner never fails to rouse the crowd with his high energy and musicianship.  Hoboken musician Abby Rivers will headline the May 8th Moms For Moms event; this cocktail/live music/market event will benefit the Good Counsel organization, supporting moms in need.  May 20th will see another in a series of Family Fun Day events, featuring kids’ music star Big Jeff & The Bouncy People. 

“Authenticity at Pilsener Haus is foremost. Chef Thomas’ special menu, the Maibock beers and the music will transport our guests to springtime in the traditional biergartens we’ve known in Europe,” states founder Andy Ivanov.  Guests at Pilsener Haus’ long communal tables, in the bier hall and in the breezy biergarten will find a Maifest experience that biergarten-goers have enjoyed for hundreds of years.  Pilsener Haus & Biergarten continues to build its reputation as a new and unique dining and entertainment venue for New Jersey.