What Is a Beer Mug?

If you're a beer lover, you probably have a favorite glass you enjoy your beer in. And if you're a more discerning beer connoisseur, you might have even purchased one of the hundreds of beer mugs we offer!

If you're a true connoisseur, you'll likely tailor your glass choice to the type of beer you'll be drinking. How did the variety of beer glasses we know today come about? Buckle up, because I'm taking you on a journey through the history of beer glasses!

The definition of a beer mug

A beer mug is a container with a handle that is specifically designed to hold beer. I felt it was imperative to start with this definition. The presence of this handle therefore places the beer mug in a separate category within the beer glass family.

The tankard's biggest competitor within this family is undoubtedly the pint glass. This glass, which originated in the United Kingdom, took the world by storm about 25 years ago. The pint glass has since become the most commonly used beer glass worldwide.

Before beer glasses were made of glass

Humans have been drinking beer in one form or another for thousands of years. Our ancestors likely drank beer from flasks made of animal hides or ox horns over 10,000 years ago.

By 9000 BCE, earthenware pots, bowls, and jugs were already well established as the vessels of choice for drinking beer . But there was still a long way to go before what could be called a beer mug existed .

The invention of the potter's wheel made clay vessels easier to make and, therefore, more accessible to ordinary people.

However, the spark that would give birth to the beer glass would not occur until the Phoenicians mastered the art of glassblowing , around 50 BC. Over the next two centuries, the art of glassblowing spread throughout the Mediterranean and Europe.

Beer pitchers and beer kegs

While the art of glassblowing continued to evolve and improve over the centuries, glasses intended for drinking beer had yet to appear. By the 14th century, tankards and steins were the preferred containers for beer drinkers .

These are the first vessels specifically associated with the consumption of beer . Tankards were originally used to carry water and were made of wood and bound with iron or leather.

Following the bubonic plague, however, the tankard became a large, single-handled, stoneware mug with a pewter lid. It was known as a "stein," also known as a Bavarian beer keg. The lid was intended to prevent the contents from being contaminated.

Unfortunately, tin itself posed a risk of lead poisoning because the two metals were often mixed. Lids evolved but also fell out of fashion.

The birth of the beer glass

It wasn't until the 19th century that the real beer glass began to gain popularity. By the turn of the 20th century, glassware for beer drinkers had begun to become a true art form. The 10-sided, or "fluted," beer mug was one of the first beer glasses . It allowed drinkers to keep their hands off the glass itself, allowing the beer to stay fresher for longer.

The dimpled glass, the Mass, appeared in the 1940s , due to the growing popularity of amber beers, which were best displayed in the dimpled glass.

We are offering this 1 liter beer mug for sale, if you are interested you can click directly on the photo!

A straight glass with a slight bulge at the top, known as a " Nonik " (notchless) glass, followed. It was designed to minimize the chipping that occurred when the glasses rubbed against each other.

A variation of the standard Nonik, the thin-walled "waisted" glass , was developed soon after. This pint glass pulls the rim slightly inward to prevent the possibility of nicks and has remained a favorite of stout brewers.

The thin-walled pint glass is still the classic pint glass of Irish breweries and Guinness. It continues to be used in the north of England to serve Yorkshire "big head" pints.

The beer mug of the ^3rd millennium

It's simple, all the mugs I mentioned above still exist today! Here's what's on the market:

• Horn tankard
• Wooden mug
• Porcelain mug
• Metal mug
• Glass mug
• Plastic mug
• Resin mug

Here are some examples of the beer mugs that we offer for sale, if one of them interests you, you can click directly on the photo!

The fundamental difference between these seven types of mugs is that you can see the beer through the glass or plastic ones. All others are opaque by default. It all depends on taste and color.

Today, choosing the right glassware can be as important as choosing the right beer . Each variation of the beer glass is designed to have a specific effect on the beverage it contains. Most beer drinkers will insist that certain types of beer should only be consumed in certain types of glasses.

Next time you buy a beer glass, choose wisely and do me the favor of a beer mug ! Otherwise, subtly slip this gift idea into the minds of your loved ones!

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Our site offers more than 100 beer mugs different and all unique!

To discover all of our products, click on this link: Chopedebiere .

If you want to read one of my other articles, I suggest the guide to knowing where to buy a beer mug .

To see all my other blog posts, click on Chopedebiere Blog.