It’s summer and you’re probably thinking about beer and brats. So is Matt Rofougaran, former owner of Tysons Biergarten. He is currently at work on two sequels to the successful pop-up, Herndon Biergarten in Herndon and Shipgarten in McLean. Shipgarten will be another pop-up, made from shipping containers and tents, at 6579 Colshire Drive. Herndon Biergarten will be a permanent building at 771 Center Street.
Rofougaran has long been a devotee of biergartens. “I used to be in the nightlife scene. I got burnt out and went backpacking [in Europe] looking for a new idea and fell in love. I spent months staying there, going from biergarten to biergarten,” he recalls. Once he returned home, it took him three years to go from the seed of an idea to opening Tysons Biergarten in 2016.
Fans of the previous business have a lot to look forward to. The events that drew crowds, including everything from trivia nights to dog adoption fairs, will be a part of the proceedings, but this time, much of the fun will take place on a rooftop patio. In every regard, guests can expect more than before.
Beers will be primarily German and Belgian varieties and will number around 100. There will also be 60 different whiskeys. Food, says Rofougaran, will be a “German-American fusion.” That will include down-home staples like hot dogs and wings, but also German sausages and schnitzels.
Rofougaran expects to open Herndon Biergarten in spring of 2021, but if you’re thirsty now, you won’t have to wait as long for the McLean location. Shipgarten will debut in three or four months, says its owner. Each of the four shipping containers will house its own food and drink concept, ranging from beer and German food to barbecue from around the world.
Satisfy all your food cravings with our Food newlsetter.
