The word stein finds its origins in the German word ‘steinzeugkrug’, which refers to a stoneware jug or tankard. In English, stein is commonly used to define any traditional beer container that comes with a hinged lid and handle. Steins are made to measure beer either in a half or full liter dimension, and are usually made up of pewter or porcelain, but also frequently of silver, crystal glass and wood as is the case when sold as ornamental souvenirs. In the same vein, they are often decorated in a way that hints at their German history.

Where the stein comes from has an interesting story behind it. In fact, the reason behind the conception of the idea of a stein can be traced back to as early as 1340. From 1340 till 1380, the bubonic plague, more commonly known as Black Death in history, killed over 25 million people living in Europe. It became apparent that the main reason behind the killer plague was the terrible sanitary conditions that were prevalent in Europe at the time. 95% of the dead had been living in horrible, filthy conditions fit only for rats. Unfortunate and tragic as this period in history was, one good thing did come out of it and that was the change in the way people viewed sanitation. During the late 1400s, Europe faced another problem in the form of flies that invaded it. Mainly as an answer to this travesty, the area now known as Germany, passed laws pertaining to the fact that from then on, all food and beverage containers would be covered to protect against flies and similar problems. Enter the beer stein. By adding a hinged lid with a thumb-lift to the common mug, the beer stein was born. This meant that not only was the beer protected, but could still be held with one hand. 

These new laws resulted in improvements being made to the quality and transport of beer, which consequently led to the taste of beer also being improved upon, as well as how steins were made. In the beginning, wood and earthenware were used to make beer containers but not only did they break easily, but also the materials absorbed the beer which resulted in a smell that only increased with each subsequent use. What turned out to be a feasible solution was a substance called stoneware, which neither chipped nor cracked easily, neither was it porous which meant a more sanitary beer container was the result. Because stoneware was considered superior to the more commonly used earthenware, and was also more expensive, it resulted in steins gaining something of an ornamental value as well. The production of carved and decorated steins began. Pewter and silver steins were also produced and the beer stein market grew in size.

In the 1920s, porcelain, glass and stoneware steins were widely produced and have continued to be popular. However, economic ups and downs over the decades have affected production, with some companies failing to deal with production issues and hence stopping manufacturing them altogether. They are however still the most popular beer containers today, and forever epitomized by some of the world’s largest beer producers in the media.