A History Of The German Beer Mug
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Defined Tag: German Beer Mug.

German beer mugs, or originally steins, have quite a history behind them. First of all, the word “stein” is a shortened version of a German word meaning stone. They are made from all German materials and German hands. If you purchase a real German beer stein, you can be sure that it is unique, as it comes directly from Germany. The signature addition to German beer steins is the hinged lid that is attached to every real German mug.

Beer steins came about in the 1300’s, after the passing of the bubonic plague and other fly attacks in Europe. After this, people were very timid and frightened to eat or drink, for fear that they would get infected, and cause another bout of the horrible plague. So to help solve this fear and calm everyone, Germany passed laws that required drink containers to be covered in order to insure cleanliness. At the same time, stoneware was created, by increasing the temperature at which clay was fired. This was the start of beer mugs/ steins, and it continued for the next few hundred years.

Over the past few decades beer steins have grown and expanded to other parts of the world, including Brazil, which is the home of one of the most popular beer stein companies in the world. There are now many corporations that make them. However, the German beer steins remain the most unique and special. Even though they have expanded the materials used to make the steins, stoneware is still the most produced kind, and that is part of what defines them from others around the world.

As with all things, they change over the years, and that has also happened to beer steins. Nowadays, the more common word for a beer glass is a beer mug, regardless of whether it has a lid or not. You might hear someone call a lidless mug a beer stein as well. The original names have very little meaning these days. A beer stein, mug, and tankard all mean the same thing: a container you drink beer from.