THE AGE-OLD pleasures of Bavaria have finally found a home in Portland at Prost, an obsessively authentic German beer hall on N Mississippi Avenue. Picture windows rimmed with golden orbs of light frame the small pub, its walls bedecked in dark wood and grainy photographs of co-owner Chris Navarra’s ancestral farm in Germany. Since opening in late October, Prost has been packed to capacity just about every night. Small wonder. Inside, spires of glassware brim with frothy lagers and diners feast on smoked bratwurst smeared with piquant mustard, while an outdoor beer garden buzzes with a festival of slurred conversation.

For anyone who has braved the debauchery of Munich’s Oktoberfest, Prost’s menu is certain to reawaken those blurry memories. Ten imported German beers live permanently on tap, with one extra spout rotating weekly among rare, seasonal picks. Local beer aficionados will be pleased to discover such rarities as the smooth, spicy Erdinger Dunkel Weisse, the nutty Paulaner Oktoberfest, and the malty and rich Spaten Optimator. To complement these suds, Prost offers a small menu of traditional German dishes centered on the staples of bratwurst, sauerkraut, pickles, and German rye. Because as the Germans well know, you can’t live on beer alone—though Prost has given us a good reason to try.