Own the Authentic German Beer Steins

Dating back to its German roots, the beer Stein was originally produced with a permanently attached hinged lid in the 14^th century. The lid was a result of a public fear which spread widely related to hygiene issues triggered by the bubonic plague i.e. Black Death. In order to fight the serious health issues, the lid was used to prevent fleas, flies and other pesky bugs from entering your drink. But later on, it turned into a status symbol throughout the general masses of Germany. Collecting Steins became a thing of pride and being a class apart.

Let’s come to the origin of these wonderful art pieces and know from where they got their names and what made them so popular.

Initially, these German beer Steins were made using stone. The word Stein is an abbreviation of Steinzeugkrug which means a stoneware tankard. The traditional beer mug workers use porcelain, wood and pewter and as well as glass and silver later in time. Most of the contemporary German beer mugs are handmade and hand painted. In 1900s, collecting authentic and antique beer tankards became a very popular hobby of beer enthusiasts.

Beer Steins are also popular throughout North America, Great Britain, France, Japan, and Russia which typically come in the size of half liter and full liter. Most of the best online retail stores sell handmade and hand painted beer jugs that are completely made in Germany by highly skilled potters. The potters use only high quality clay from the West Walt region of Germany. It is a well-known saying which is known by everyone in Germany that if the Stein isn’t made in Germany then it isn’t a Stein.

Most of the mugs are used in the Bavarian part of Germany but the clay used to produce them comes from the Westerwald region of Germany. It is so, as the region is well known for its high quality and substantial clay deposits. This is the main reason why most of the manufacturers who still produce German Steins are located here. One of the factories which still produce high class beer mugs is TheBeersteinShop and in January 2011, it also started producing Steins under the name of Thewalt 1893. Souvenir Relief, Crest, Specialty, and Limited Edition Steins are the specialties of these producers. So always ask your online store retailer about the manufacturer of the beer mug. 

If your mug is authentic, then retailer will gladly let you know about its origin else not.

Know How to Recognize that the Beer Stein is Real or Not!

The word beer Stein is an English neologism which is made of stoneware. In Germany, the word Stein means stone and is not used to refer to a beverage container. The Steins may be made out of stoneware, pewter, porcelain and even silver, wood or crystal glass. 

The beer mugs may have open tops or hinged pewter lids with a thumb lever. These beer mugs come in various sizes of half liter or full liter. Apart from typical beer containers, there are decorative tankards, which are often used as a decorative piece in a nostalgic manner.

The makers of beer containers found many advantages of using different materials in the latter half of the 19^th century. The advantage of using the stoneware was found that molds can be used to mass produce the carved Steins. By using the glass, one can easily add the artistic touch to the mugs. The porcelain’s advantage in making the beer mugs is that they can be used to make the Character Steins which comprises of a particular shape molded after an item or a person. Later in 1900s, people started collecting the antique and replicated beer Steins and this became a hobby for people.

Nowadays, people who visit Germany, also bring the German beer Steins as collectibles and souvenirs. Most of the makers produce handmade beer containers which are one of the oldest forms of containers. 

But, are you sure that your German beer mug is original or not? It is really difficult to know that whether your Stein is a real vintage mug which is made the old fashion way? But there is one thing through which you can easily come to know about the originality of your product is the price. The price difference between an authentic vintage German beer Stein and the one made somewhere else is significant.

The first thing which you can check is the bottom of the German Steins itself. Most of the manufacturers write the name of the country on the bottom. This technique was not followed earlier but was started in later years. It simply means that the authentic beer Steins have the label Made in Germany on the bottom. 

Another thing to look out for is the lid. The beer Stein has a lid that is complementary to the design on the body of the Stein. The lids are highly decorated and are detailed in most of the cases. Apart from the lid, the thumb lift is also one thing which can give you a clue that the beer container is truly made in Germany or not. These are the ways through which you can recognize and know that whether your beer Stein is real or not.

Collect Your Favorite German Beer Steins and Style Your Home!

The common material which was used in the making of beer mugs before 1892 was stone or stoneware. In 1892 Oktoberfest, the beer glasses and mugs made up of glass came into existence. But, then also they were referred to as Stein, although they were made up of glass and not stone.

Generally, the beer mug is different from beer Stein, as the beer Stein has the lid and the beer mugs do not have a lid. The lids are attached only to keep the flies out of the mug, means keeping them out of your beer. There is a history behind the lids of the beer mugs.

The Black Death was a bubonic plague which originated around China and also spread to Western European in the fourteenth century. It is believed that the Black Death was carried by fleas on rats through the various trade routes which are famously known as the Silk Road, land and sea routes as well. The Black Death resulted in thousands of people dying in a single day and to fend off as much death as possible. Then was a time when laws were put in place. The German laws called for covering food and beverages to protect the consumers of restaurants and pubs. This was the main reason of the origin of Stein.

The point to notice is that, these beer Steins were not just covered but they were covered in style. These German Steins has a hinged lid with a thumb handle for ease of drinking. In just, one swift move, a beer enthusiast can lift the Stein, pop the lid off and drink your beer.

Different material for making Steins in the early days include pewter or silver for the rich and wood was used among the poor. As, wood is very porous, the beer would soak into the wood which makes it difficult to clean it.

A simple German Beer Stein is basically a ceramic mug with a pewter lid hinged at the top of it. These mugs have various designs made on the outer side depicting the lifestyle of people, mountains and other cultural paintings as well. These are best for giving them as a gift. You can also purchase your favorite Stein online as they are available in numerous sites.