Early this summer when the weather was ripe for it, several of you joined in our plea for a local outdoor space to grab steins of German beer and enjoy brats in the open air. Temperatures are now cooling off, but it seems that our prayers will be answered soon.

Russia House co-owner Aaron McGovern is heading up a project on H Street that could help fill DC's beer garden void. According to last month's Capital Community News, Biergarten Haus, a 5,000-square-foot German restaurant, will occupy the two store fronts adjacent to Rock N' Roll Hotel (where NorthEast Salon and DC Sanctuary used to be).

McGovern is planning a menu full of traditional German fare for his new restaurant, and an outdoor beer garden that we hope will satisfy the nostalgia of all those lucky enough to have been to a real Bavarian biergarten in Germany. As you can see from the Weltenburger Kloster photo above, that means long wooden tables under the shade of trees, space for plenty of people longing for some gemutlichkeit, an occasional oom-pah band, and most importantly, lots of great German beer. We're not sure how well the location will allow McGovern to deliver on all these stipulations, but there will be twelve taps, and that's a good start. We'll see about the polka. More details and our outdoor drinking spot picks below.

If all goes well, Biergarten Haus is will open its doors sometime this winter. The grand opening will surely be too cold to enjoy the outdoor space, but the Lagerheads are certainly looking forward to singing a few rounds of Ein Prosit there come spring. Although last week's weather was dreary, this week promises to be unseasonbly warm in DC, so if you are looking to take advantage of your final chances to enjoy beer outdoors, below are our picks out of what is available. What are yours?

• 1. Wonderland Ballroom – The long wooden picnic tables and spacious, tree-laden space at this Columbia Heights neighborhood bar bring us back despite their lackluster beer selection. There's usually at least one German beer on tap and always a handful of craft brews (usually Sierra Nevada, Anchor Steam, Lagunitas, or Lancaster), plus a few Belgian imports. They have much better things on the menu but we love those chili dogs (be sure to ask for cheese and onions).

• 2. RedRocks Firebrick Pizzeria – Just down the street, these guys have a similar but more cramped feel to Wonderland, with small wooden picnic tables and cover from trees and umbrellas. RedRocks has a much more robust craft beer selection, comprised mainly of regional craft breweries (Victory, Troegs, Dogfish Head, Brooklyn, Allagash, Ommegang) and some well-chosen imports. While you're there, take advantage of the great pizza, of course!

• 3. Cafe Berlin – This Capitol Hill restaurant offers a truly German experience with regard to beer and food (and often clientèle), but is not so great on prices. If you want the real thing and demand an outdoor space, this is it. If you just want the German part and don't mind being indoors, we recommend Cafe Mozart (on a Tuesday when Sylvia is on accordion) or if you're up for a bit of a roadtrip, Blob's Park.

• 4. Galaxy Hut - While the outdoor space isn't as open as the other bars on this list, the muraled walls and gaint tin can table in the back (our favorite) make this Clarendon spot unique. The tater tots are cheap, plentiful, and delicious. Most important, the beer list is outstanding and changes frequently. Among their 20 taps and around the same number of bottles, we always find something we haven't had and are rarely disappointed. Draft beers come in goblets, pints, or pitchers, which can get a little dangerous because of the many high-ABV beers available (if you bring friends and are willing to share, you should be okay). Plus there's rock on Sunday and Monday nights. A perfect combination.

Many of you probably know about dchappyhours.com, which is the most exhaustive list of happy hours searchable by both neighborhood and day of the week. While an excellent and fairly up-to-date tool, it's not always the most useful resource for a couple like us, who care little for wine specials or $1 shooters. So, we thought we'd offer a quick list for your convenience.

Below are The Lagerheads' picks for Tuesday budget beer. Got other good spots for beer happy hours? Let us know in the comments–regardless of the day of the week.

Our favorites:

• Birreria Paradiso – Easily the best deal in the city for quality and price, half-price beer, $5 appetizers, and special pizza deals go from 5:00 to 7:00pm. As we have mentioned in greater detail, get there early to claim a spot!

• L'Enfant Cafe – The half-price deal on all Belgian beers runs from 4:30 to 7:30pm. If you can't make it on a Tuesday, take advantage of today's groupon to go on another night in the next few months (but you can only use one per table–not as much fun).

• Cafe Mozart – Sylvia's accordion-accompanied German folks songs are enough of a reason to go. Beer specials ($5.65 half-liters–regularly $7.75 and $9.95 liters–regularly $13.75) and food specials (too many to list) go from 4:00pm to 7:00pm.

Deals on fresh local beer:

• Capitol City Brewing Company – Beer for $3.50 and half-price appetizers from 4:00 to 7:00pm.

• District Chophouse – Half price on a selection of their hand-crafted beers from 3:00 to 6:00pm.

• Gordon Biersch – $1 off lagers and $4.95 appetizer specials from 4:00 to 6:30pm.

Other good deals:

• Bread and Brew – $1 off drafts from 4:00 to 8:00pm. Check out dcbeer for more details.

• Matchbox – $1 off all drafts except Belgian imports from 5:00 to 7:00pm. Luckily they have a nice list of domestic craft beers so you shouldn't miss those imports.

• The Big Hunt – $2.50 house drafts and 15 cent wings from 4:00 to 7:00pm. Not sure how limited "house" drafts is but worth looking into.

Now far be it for us to find fault with DC's beer scene. We have a lot to be grateful for. Just a few years ago, the Brickskeller was the only game in town. Today, the competition outdoes it on a regular basis–especially if you get sick of having to order three or four times before they have something in stock. RFD does considerably better in this regard, but we digress...

Our fair city's beer renaissance, though, has focused almost exclusively on Belgian beers. Yes, Red Derby specializes in cans. And Commonwealth features an English list chock full of bitters. We've even got a few brew pubs, not least of which Dogfish Head's latest extreme beer mecca near Seven Corners. But what's lacking is the one of the most elemental of beer experiences: an old-fashioned German beer garden. New York's got Zum Schneider and Zeppelin Hall, among others. And Pittsburgh's got its own brand new, Munich-style Hofbrauhaus. Anybody looking to invest in a new place, we beg you, please give us outdoor seating, strings of white lights, oompa music, and steins full of delicious German malts.

This is not to say that there aren't German beer establishments in the area. We've got Cafe Berlin in Capitol Hill with decent outdoor seating but more of a formal atmosphere. Then there is one of the most overlooked and underrated places in DC: Cafe Mozart. Tucked behind a German deli on the first floor of an office building near Metro Center, Cafe Mozart is a bit dingy but lots of fun. If you have never been, be sure your first trip is on a Tuesday or Sunday when their accordionist Sylvia is on hand to play German drinking songs. You'll be shouting "Ein, zwei, g'suffa" like a tourist in Munich in no time. But for the things that Cafe Berlin and Cafe Mozart have going for them, they just don't pack the excitement of a real German beer garden.

Clay Risen, the Atlantic's beer writer, informs us that Blob's Park, an authentic beer hall in Jessup, Maryland, is a dream, the sort of place where after a few drinks, you might reasonably forget what time zone you're in. We have not been yet, but it ranks high on our list of priorities. Jessup, though, seems a long way to go to satisfy our thirst for German beer, pretzels, and polka. If you can recommend any closer places, please chime in. Prost!