Daniel Northcutt wasn't even a glimmer in his Great-Great-Great Opa's eye when Scholz Garten was launched in 1866. The oldest ethnic organization in the Capital of Texas, The Austin Saengerrunde, acquired the biergarten and surrounding property following the death of August Scholz in 1891.

Fast-forward 127 years, and Daniel has taken over day-to-day operations of the Longest Running Biergarten in America. Lately, Northcutt and his team are working hard to evolve the Scholz in a way that brings it back to its roots. “We are diligently working to develop an evolving food and German beer menus, and we’re adding liquor,” says Daniel. “Who am I to deny whiskey or a margarita to Texas folk?”

Daniel’s decision to get involved is largely due to watching other Austin icons fade away. “We weren’t going to let that happen to Scholz,” says Northcutt. Beyond menus, he’s added amenities and cleaned up the branding. “I’ve done my best to respect the history while adding upgrades and options. This old place has more than one ghost, but we were more conscious of not disturbing the regulars over the spirits.”

For Northcutt, it’s been fun to breathe renewed life into one of Austin’s oldest institutions. In many ways Scholz was the birthplace of community gathering and celebration in Austin much like the original biergartens in Germany. And it will continue to be the starting point of countless friendships, relationships, celebrations and home wins for years, or maybe even centuries to come.