BEER STEIN

A beer stein or a beer mug… however you call it, the German word bierkrug originates from steinzeugkrug, and denotes a ceramic mug with a handle and a metal lid. Today, the term is used for all beer mugs, regardless of the material they are made from.

The oldest beer mugs were made of wood. They were barrel-shaped and did not have a lid. A wooden mug around 2,000 years old was discovered in Wales, which could hold four pints (just over two litres) of beverage.

Initially, beer mugs throughout Europe, and especially in England, were mainly made of pewter. Many were also made from other materials, such as glass, porcelain, and even silver.

In the years between 1340 and 1380, over 25 million people died in Europe due to the plague.

Despite the horrific consequences, the scourge also brought about exceptional civilisation progress. Amongst other things, it is responsible for the birth of the beer mug.

An important feature of the beer mug is the lid. It was designed for hygienic reasons. In the second half of the 14th century, Central Europe was flooded by swarms of tiny flies, a consequence of the plague, which was then at its peak. It was for this very reason that a special legal provision was adopted in the German lands. This mandated that all food and drink containers must be covered. This prevented flying vermin from coming into contact with food. A special lid was added to existing mugs, designed so that drinkers could still enjoy their beer using only one hand.

Beer mugs usually come in half-litre and one-litre sizes.

Very early on, they also began to be decorated with historical, allegorical, or biblical scenes. Drinking beer thus became a pleasure for the eyes as well. In the late Renaissance and early Baroque, motifs from the German majolica technique were popular. In the 17th century, great importance was placed on the regional characteristics of the painted motifs. Following the Napoleonic Wars, a style of folk art emerged known as the Biedermeier period. In the Neoclassical period, however, beer mugs were once again painted with Ancient Greek allegorical motifs. Mugs from the beginning of the 20th century feature depictions of towns, guild symbols, scenes of everyday life, and commemorative images primarily related to military life.

Recently, various breweries have recommended using glasses made of thin glass for drinking beer. These emphasise the characteristics of the drink while simultaneously promoting the producer.