Oktoberfest hits the city from September 16 through mid-October this year, and there’s no shortage of beer gardens at which to celebrate.

So many New York City drinking establishments are rolling out oceans of German, Austrian, Czech and Belgian beers and ales to tablefuls of drinkers and diners, that it’s starting to resemble Bavaria. At one recent count (NY Times) there were at least 54 beer gardens in the city.

Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden, owned and operated by the Bohemian Citizens’ Benevolent Society of Astoria, set the standard for what an afternoon at the beer garden should be like. Hallo Berlin on 10th Avenue is another classic. The hipster-haven-within-a-hipster-haven newcomer award might go to Berry Park in Williamsburg, or perhaps to the equally new Radegast Hall. Studio Square is another ‘burg newcomer, though it caters more to a clean-cut frat crowd. In between are the uber-authentic Zum Schneider on Avenue C and Loreley in the Lower East Side and Williamsburg.

One aspect that distinguishes the beer garden from its ordinary American cousin, the bar, is size: Birreria atop Mario Batali’s Flatiron Eataly covers 8,000 square feet; Spritzenhaus (from the folks behind the iconic LES hotspot Spitzer’s Corner) in Greenpoint measures in at 6,000, as does the newly-opened Local Cafe West at 1 Penn Plaza. The Bohemian Hall can hold up to 800 people. One theory explaining the recent beer hall tide is that it’s a recession-friendly activity—pitchers of beer, along with the egalitarian atmosphere fostered by communal tables and simple, hearty food, have replaced bottle service and wine bars.

To keep track of the battle stations in this beer hall takeover, there’s even an app. Beer Gardens NYC does the legwork for you when it comes to sourcing the suds, including Foursquare check-ins and GPS to help you find a beer garden nearby.