How German Beer Steins are Made

You’ve seen them if you’re of German heritage, visited Germany, or have an interest in German culture-- beer steins are absolutely beautiful and functional pieces of art. Have you ever wondered how German beer steins are made? In this post we will go over how a ceramic stein is made these days.

The first step in making a ceramic beer stein is by putting clay into a mold. Hard clay or liquid clay are used depending on what design is in the mold as some states of clay work better for certain shapes. Once the clay has been added, they are left to dry until they are of the correct consistency. The mold is then removed to expose the sculpted unpainted body of a beer stein. Before moving forward, the stein is inspected and refined by a skilled potter, and stamped with “made in Germany” and the name of the company. After this step a thin layer of paint is added (thin over the background and thicker over the relief) and then wiped off to contrast the outlines of the artwork. After drying, the stein is then coated in a glaze that turns into glass under heat.

The stein, along with many other steins, is then put into an oven for its first firing. It is in the oven for 12 hours and then is cooled down for 12 hours as well, for a total time of 24 hours for this round of oven-time. After it is properly cooled down, the stein is then passes onto an incredibly skilled painter who carefully paints in the details by hand. At this point of the process decals, if any, are also added. Another layer of glaze is added to the beer stein and then sent in for its second round of firing. This time the stein only needs to be in the oven for 6 hours.

The last step in making a German beer stein is adding a beautiful pewter lid. Typically the lids are not attached in the same facilities that the steins were made, but are sent to an expert in the same town.

There you have it! The basics of how a German beer stein is made. Are you in the marker for a German beer stein? Check out AllSteins! AllSteins.com is a website that specializes in imported German hand crafted beer steins from the most famous brands. AllSteins is owned by Ernst Licht Imports, the top US importer of German goods. Visit - German Lederhosen

German Beer Steins 101

We’ve covered many facets of German culture and tradition, but what we haven’t really broken down yet are German beer steins. First, let me clarify that the term “beer stein” isn’t used within Germany, but rather outside of Germany. In Germany a beer stein would be called a “Steinkrug” or just “Krug”. The first part of “Steinkrug” is where we get “beer stein” from. It literally means “Stoneware jug/mug”. Beer steins could be made from a few different materials such as earthenware, pewter, wood, ceramics, crystal, porcelain, creamware, silver, or glass. Aside from being made from varying materials, beer steins also come in different liquid capacities. They can be 1/4L (liter) to more than 1L, however they are typically around ½L. The classic beer stein look we recognize today was introduced to Germany in the 14th century when a lid was added for sanitary reasons. Since the plague was running rampant during the time, Germans were directed to use drink containers with lids to keep out any potential hazards such as flies which carried the plague.

When you imagine a beer stein what comes to mind? The ornate pewter lids and detailed handcrafted art on the body? They were not originally such intricate items. In the 14th century beer steins were rather plain and one colour. Overtime etching, engraving, sculpting, and carefully hand painting the steins become more and more common. The trademark look did not really take hold of the beer stein world until the 17th century. Once the beer steins did become more decorative, the steins became easier to distinguish by region as each region had their own style.

German beer steins today are very collectible and are very treasured by many people around the world; there is a big market for them! Why not take a look for yourself? AllSteins.com is a website that specializes in imported German hand crafted beer steins from the most famous brands. All Steins is owned by Ernst Licht Imports, the top US importer of German goods. Get out there and get yourself a beautiful stein! Visit - German Lederhosen