The Beer Mug – A Legacy That Helped Beer Become Beer
The original beer mug comes from Germany and was commonly called a beerstein, which is a German abbreviation for the word Stoneware jug or tankard. The beer mug is broadly considered the preferred drinking device for beer around the world. The difference is that a classic beer stein, is traditionally decorated and ornamented with artwork and comes in a jugular design handcrafted by precision beer stein makers. Common materials include clay or porcelain.
The largest beerstein in the world stands 4 feet tall and can hold 10.5 gallons of beer. At an incredible 66 pounds, it took over 10 weeks for the clay used in the beer stein to dry completely.
Little did you know that the beer stein was central in the development of beer that you drink today.
The beerstein was developed as a response to the diseases and plagues that were tormenting Europe through the middle ages. 25 million people died in Europe during the black plague and to battle severe sanitary issues, Germany implemented laws overseeing the conservation of food and beverage, including the demand that food and beverage storage containers must be covered.
The sanitation-friendly laws of Germany led to advances in the food and beverage industries. Beer deliveries were made in covered containers, the beer-stau (beer houses) business was booming and individuals were enjoying better tasting, less contaminated beer from their own, viking mugs covered drinking vessels. It was customary to have your own beerstein with a covering lid.
The beerstein industry was a significant, union-driven employer and new materials, designs and artwork was continuously being developed to feed the market’s unquenchable thirst for beer delivery vessels. New materials were introduced, including the revolution of porcelain in the 1700’s.
While beersteins are impressive to look, the introduction of glass in the 1800’s paved way for the much more practical beer mug which is standard today The beer mug has with its cylindrical shape and steady handle was transitioned into becoming a beer-drinker’s favorite at Germany’s beer salons and became commonly used in the Americas during the 1800’s.
Today beer mugs are sold everywhere and can be found hundreds of thousands of designs. You can even get customized, personalized beer mugs with your own logo. You’d have to be royalty to get your own personalized beerstein back in the middle ages.
So when you are drinking beer out of a Beer Mug, you may want to consider the impact the mug has had on the beer itself. If it wasn’t for the implementation of laws that required beverage to be covered, the Germans wouldn’t have begun to develop beer and the quality of the beer to gradually become what it is today.
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