Who Invented the Beer Mug?
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Beer is a popular drink enjoyed by many people around the world, including me! It's one of the oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverages. Beer has been around for centuries and has been brewed in many different forms and styles. But what about the glass of beer you're holding in your hand, that famous beer mug ?
Beer is a beloved beverage that has been around for centuries, and it's no surprise that it's still so popular today. But where did the beer mug come from?
The history of the beer mug is closely linked to the development of glassware and its evolution over time, but it goes back much further than that. From its beginnings as a crude vessel made from clay to its modern form as an intricately designed glass cup , we will explore how this magnificent vessel came to be.
The beer mug is the most interesting of beer glasses because its evolution has followed techniques and eras.
Have you ever wondered who invented this amazing container? Come on, I'll take you on a fascinating journey through the history of the beer mug , which dates back thousands of years!
Invention of the beer mug: the first mug was an ox horn
Humans are known for using whatever they have at hand. Even before they could use tools to carve wood or shape certain materials, they quickly realized that the ancestor of our modern cows could provide them with a very useful material.
Here is what we currently offer in a (much) improved version:
Just click on the photo to see it!
Yes, the ox horn was perfect for holding liquid and it didn't require much effort to be useful quickly. The invention of beer dates back to the time of the Sumerians 6,000 years ago , even before the Egyptians. It's a safe bet that the ox horn was one of the first cups that man used.
We cannot really speak of a tankard at this time because a beer tankard has a handle that allows it to be held without having the container directly in the hand. The horn is nevertheless the ancestor of the tankard .
Most likely a horn from that period looked more like this, as the Vikings may have used it for centuries:
Just click on the photo to see it!
The beer mug made of pottery or clay
A horn is nice, but in the meantime, man has developed knowledge of pottery, particularly thanks to clay, and of wood carving. The problem with wood is that it soaks up the liquid, and if it remains wet, it ends up rotting, etc.
According to archaeological excavations, this is what the clay beer mugs, which were a kind of jug, looked like:
So it was pottery that won this battle in the majority of cases.
Modern wooden mugs are either treated with food-grade resin or have a stainless steel bowl to overcome this defect.
This is what wooden beer mugs look like now:
Just click on the photo to see it!
Pottery, then ceramics, stoneware and porcelain were the preferred materials for making beer mugs . Firing one or other of these materials made the mug completely waterproof and allowed for original decorations.
The metal beer mug
Yes, man made various metal utensils , not just weapons. Metal had the enormous advantage over ceramics of being much more durable, but it required special expertise.
I should point out that even after the appearance of beer mugs made of iron, bronze, silver, or even gold, other types of mugs still existed. It was more a question of how much money one could put into their favorite mug!
Here is a retro metal mug that we offer for example:
Just click on the photo to see it!
An inn served beer in wooden tankards . Those with more money used ceramic tankards . The wealthy owned metal tankards , made of the most precious metal their purse could afford!
Pewter was also widely used to make beer mugs because it is one of the cheapest metals. It contributed greatly to the popularization of the metal beer mug .
The downside was that it was often mixed with lead, which caused an astronomical number of lead poisonings. Unfortunately, it took doctors a long time to understand that lead was harmful to food contact.
Dying because of the mug you use to drink your beer is really unfair!
The metal beer mug has a lid
Are you familiar with the expression: "Out of necessity comes invention"? It lends itself well to this story because it was during a major outbreak of bubonic plague that beer mugs were fitted with lids. This protected the beer from the unkind coughs of potential sufferers nearby, but also prevented insects from taking an unwanted dip.
It was in Germany that beer mugs were invented, with lids mostly made of pewter, while the mugs themselves were made of stoneware.
According to the belief of the time in the 14th century, insects were vectors of the spread of this disease and a decree even made the addition of these covers compulsory.
The glass beer mug
It may seem strange to move from a material as strong as metal to glass, which can break much more easily. In fact, it's more of a necessity.
In times of war, metal objects could be melted down to make weapons, and the top priority in times of crisis was no longer making tankards. However, whatever happened, beer consumption did not drop, and an alternative material had to be found.
Glass was very economical to produce and allowed for much more creative uses than metal. After the First World War, glass remained the ideal material for everyday beer mugs. The available metal was also used more for reconstruction than for "arts and crafts" after the war.
As a little joke about this historical fact, we took out a bulletproof beer mug because one of them got stuck in this mug:
Just click on the photo to see it!
So using glass beer mugs suited everyone and I don't think most people complained!
The current beer mug
In our modern era, the beer mug still exists in various forms. If you go to a bar or pub, you'll usually get a pint, but some will have the decency to serve you a beer in a mug. It's a lot classier!
Just click on the photo to see it!
Globalization has taken its toll, and now you can find mugs of all kinds and in many different materials. Just look at the number of models we offer. We have to try to please everyone, and everyone has their own preferences.
Just click on the photo to see it!
Personally, I have the huge advantage of being able to choose from our many references and I admit that I enjoy changing my mugs very regularly. I have several horns, wooden mugs , glass mugs and of course several resin ones with a stainless steel tank. I have more than twenty to tell the truth, but don't compare me to you because I am lucky enough to live off my passion for beer!
The beer mug is part of our heritage
Beer mugs are an integral part of beer culture—and have been for centuries! From the simple clay mugs of ancient Babylon to the richly decorated steins of Germany, the beer mug has a long and fascinating history.
Just click on the photo to see it!
Beer mugs are more than just containers for our favorite cold beverage. They have a long and fascinating history dating back to ancient times. From the early use of clay or stone mugs by Sumerian brewers to today's modern designs, the beer mug has evolved over the centuries and played an important role in many cultures.
Unfortunately, I don't have the answer to the question of who exactly invented the beer mug , but what I am certain of is that he took great pleasure in enjoying his beer from the container it was made in. This pleasure has not changed for thousands of years, and every beer lover still attaches great importance to the container that holds his beer.
Just click on the photo to see it!
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Our website offers over 100 different beer mugs , all unique! To see all of our designs, simply visit our mugs.
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If you want to read one of my other articles, I suggest you find out why a beer mug has a handle .
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