Nowadays, when you enjoy a German-made beer in one of our restaurants or taverns and drink it from a beer glass, which had just been invented to improve the enjoyment of your drink, you are looking back on a long tradition and history of the German people.
Beer made in Germany has a long tradition. Even the Celtic folk recognized its usefulness and traded their goods with the beer of located Germanic clans. In medieval times beer consumption increased and beer became even more popular among the folk. Because of its nutritious character it served as replacement for bread and became a drink to the general. Therefore, in 1516, the German purity law was enacted and even it was adjusted in the run of time, it still is respected and followed in German breweries nowadays. Especially the monasteries specialized in brewing the beer. So when one waitress in one of the German beer garden serves a “Weihenstephan”, “Paulaner” or “Franziskaner” you know now that it was brewed in the tradition of the old monks.
By reading the last part you surely can imagine that beer has a special meaning to the Germans. Here, it is the most popular alcoholic drink and is commonly drank at nearly every, mostly celebratory occasion. But not only the beer had developed in the past centuries, but also different kinds of beer glasses.
So for example there is a “Altbier” glass, a wheat-beer glass, the so called “Tulip”, also known as “Pilsblume” and the “Kölner Stange” for the “Kölsch” from Collogne. Next to those, there are numerous universal beer glasses, as well. In my opinion, especially the “Bierstiefel” makes a great impression. This glass comes in the form of a single boot. Because of its liquid capacity, larger groups are supposed to drink from this glass, in the first place. Therefore, this kind of glass offers enough room for drinking games. It’s origin leads back to the the middle ages, where people indeed drank from a worn military boot, as punishment for lost battles or as a test of courage. Nowadays, this tradition is kept and continued by drinking from those special glasses, which are not only a nice eye-catcher but also real collectibles.
Another interesting object among the beer glasses, which is qualified as German souvenir, is the widely known stein. The most popular steins come from the Oktoberfest in Munich, which is visited by many tourists from all around the world, every year. The Oktoberfest’s steins are redesigned every year and also count to desirable collectibles among collectors.
Undoubtedly, beer glasses are a special and fantastic memory from a visit in Germany, which will also find its practical benefits.