Beer Stein Beginnings in Europe

In the late 1300s European states began to enact and strictly enforce sanitary measures. Although a lot of literature on the history of beer and beer steins state there exists no empirical evidence that the lidded beer stein evolved from a "covered container law", it is widely believed that the lidded beer vessels was indeed a result of such sanitary measures. Until that time beer had been drank from an open-mouthed vessel like a mug or tankard. The hinged lid was conceived as a sanitary measure in Germany and by the early 1500s German laws required all food & drink to be covered in such a manner. A “stein” became officially known as a beer container with a hinged lid and a handle – originating in Germany in the late 1400’s. Soon enough German beers were being improved and perfected. Strictly enforced regulations concerning the quality and transport of beer in German provinces resulted in improvement in the taste of beer. Beer consumption increased and this had an impact on stein making.

Local brews in other parts of Europe were being made from rotten bread, cabbages, eggs and anything else on hand. German beers became famous and were exported throughout northern Europe and even as far as East Indies and Jerusalem. Such beers raised a new need for beer containers. Various forms of material were being used up to this time. Wealthier folk used drink vessels made of pewter or silver, while the common folk crafted vessels made of earthenware. Generally though metal and glass remained too expensive for general use.

Earthenware vessels were porous and absorbed liquid and therefore not ideal for beer drinking. Scientific experimentation began to improve earthenware. Ultimately earthenware material was manipulated via very high temperature and new furnace designs to the point where all moisture was driven out of the clay and the clay became vitrified (partially melted) into a solid stone-like material. Hence, the beginning of the stoneware beer stein.

Stoneware was very labor and time intensive but it did prove to produce a superior vessel for beer consumption. It’s resistant to chipping and cracking and not porous, resulting in a much more sanitary container.

The time & labor involved in creating stoneware steins, especially after the covered-beverage-container law requiring lids, made steins worthy of some fine decorative ceramic art. Different glazes had already been discovered earlier in history allowing for colored glaze as a compliment to design. Many Renaissance artists contributed designs for decoration. Steins were being decorated with family crests, weapons, knights on horseback plus scenes from old German myths and history. A personal stein was now becoming a status symbol and a showpiece. By the 1500s, Hamburg had 600 breweries, producing 25 million liters of beer and directly or indirectly employing half of the population of that city.

However, the Thirty Years War that followed this period of history resulted in a major change in the history of beer. By the end of this war in the 1640s most of northern Germany breweries - the home of beer brewing up to this point in history - had been burnt down and destroyed. A few southern breweries in cloisters survived and, more or less by default, Bavaria became Central Europe’s beer land. Beer soon replaced cider and wine as the beverage of choice throughout Germany.

An expanded new market for beer steins developed, and the stoneware industry from the areas of Kö1n and Koblenz responded. Pewter, silver, and glass luxury steins were also available. All that was lacking was porcelain, which was only being made exclusively in China. No one in Europe knew how to make porcelain but several German potters were quick to jump in with a porcelain substitute — faience.

Faience is earthenware with a porcelain-like white glaze made from tin oxide. German faience was not as durable as the Chinese porcelain, but it was far less expensive. Additionally, the motifs on German faience were popular late-Renaissance and early-Baroque designs, not foreign-looking Chinese figures. The factories were located near large clay deposits. The clay was mixed with other minerals to produce a lighter, more porous material than stoneware. The body of the stein was formed on the potter's wheel and fired in a kiln. Next, it was dipped into a milk-white tin glaze to produce a smooth, white surface similar to the porcelain it attempted to emulate. After drying, the stein body was painted with various colored glazes and fired a second time. The process was time consuming but the steins that survive speak to the worthiness of the effort.

In Germany today, these steins are considered historic works of decorative art and are on display in many museums throughout that country. The painted designs include animals, architectural scenes, birds, crests, figural scenes, verses, etc.

Faience remained popular for beer steins until the last factory closed its doors in 1852. This was due to the fact that porcelain production finally began in Europe in 1709 and slowly took over faience beer steins as they became more affordable being produced domestically instead of being imported from China.

Today’s beer aficionado or casual drinker can find both economical and high quality beer steins made from earthenware and porcelain, as well as a multitude of materials including pewter and glass. Once again we are able to enjoy our brew from either a lidded or non-lidded vessel!

Beer steins make an excellent gift, as they are both decorative and functional. Steins can be found in an array of themes including wedding gifts, patriotic gifts, nature & wildlife, and heritage steins, i.e. Irish, Celtic, Scottish, etc…

For more information on the history of beer steins visit beerstein.net and steincollectors.org.