An open-air beer garden has opened in downtown Colorado Springs. The Garden, 401 S. Nevada Ave., is the inspiration of Julie Nasser, who missed the beer gardens she loved when she lived in New Jersey. “I think this is the first beer garden downtown,” she said. “We have rotating local beer and wine, locally distilled spirits and signature cocktails.” The place seems to be an instant hit. On opening day May 26, a line of people waiting for a table quickly formed. The space is furnished with wooden community tables, seats at the bar and a few lounge areas with couches and armchairs. Menus, ordering and payments are paperless with a phone photo of a QR code. And the space is dog-friendly.