Breweriana refers to any beer or brewery- related item that is considered collectible. Breweriana includes everything from branded paper napkins to bottles, to pottery jugs and mirrors. If it’s about beer, someone, somewhere, will collect it with devotion.
The dominant collecting bent of any particular country depends on the local beer-drinking culture. In Britain or Germany coasters (also called beermats) are common and few enthusiasts can resist collecting at least a few. In the United States the pub culture isn’t as strong as it is in Germany or the UK, and people tend to drink more beer at home. Not surprisingly, can collecting is the dominant desire, with enthusiasts’ garages often transformed into temples of tin.
Mid-18th-century English Spode porcelain depicting cherubs and hops. pike microbrewery museum, seattle, wa
While almost anything can be considered collectible, breweriana does tend to break down into several categories upon which we can elaborate: Coasters or beermats: Simple woodpulp mats were patented in Dresden, Germany, in 1892 by Robert Sputh, before spreading around the globe after World War I. Older examples tend to be thick and pitted, genuinely made to absorb spilled beer. Modern versions are much thinner but more colourful, primarily acting as promotional cards. A collectors’ group appeared in Austria as early as the 1930s. Tegestologists (the UK name for enthusiasts) formed the British Beermat Collectors Society in 1960. The mats can soon stack up. Leo Pisker of Vienna had a collection of 63,000 from 100 countries by 1982. Bottle labels: Like mats, they provide a merry walk down memory lane, recalling many lost breweries. But one difference with labels is their length of history; labels have been fixed to bottles since the first half of the 19th century. Then, once machines sped up laborious hand-bottling after 1880, attractive oval designs replaced the earlier simple circular pieces of paper. Oblong labels dominate from the 1950s. The first collectors’ organization, the Labologists Society, rolled into life in 1958 with the help of Guinness, which promoted the pastime from its export office in Liverpool. Soon similar organizations sprang up around the globe. Bottle tops: As well as the main label, collectors also sought the thin strips of paper stretched across the stopper, often with the words, “Observe that this label is unbroken.” But these disappeared thanks to an American inventor, William Painter, who in 1892 patented the crown cork. This simple metal cap, which could be easily applied by machine, gradually took over from wire-caged corks, screw-stoppers, and swing-top porcelain plugs. Carrying the brewery logo, they provided drinkers with something new to keep. Many breweries also provided complementary openers branded with their name. Bottles: Some like to save the full bottle, though this is mainly reserved for special editions. In Britain, the many bottles issued for royal jubilees and weddings were often kept for display. Some also like to collect earlier thick embossed glass or stoneware bottles and those with fired-on labels. Cans: Beer was not canned until the 1930s, with Krueger Brewing of New Jersey leading the way in the US in 1935. Showcards and posters: Most breweriana collectors like to own a few of these, as their attractive designs are ideal for hanging on the wall. They date from as early as the 1830s and some famous artists, such as Alphonse Mucha in France, created stunning examples. Mirrors: These are the ultimate collectors’ wall-hangings. Early ones can be elaborately engraved while later ones are transfer-printed. Ashtrays: Until the recent smoking bans, many breweries produced branded ashtrays, ranging from quality china and brass to cheap tin and plastic. Older, heavy match-strikers are harder to find. Trays: Another common but attractive item of breweriana, often depicting breweries that have long since disappeared. Water jugs: Stylish pottery jugs were provided by many breweries for whiskey drinkers. Glasses: Branded and specially shaped glasses are popular in countries like Belgium, where drinkers expect to receive their beer in the matching glass. In Germany more robust pottery steins are eagerly collected, and better examples can sell at auction for many thousands of euro.
Other forms of breweriana include beer engine pump-clips and beer taps, brewery figurines and model drays, ties and T-shirts, playing cards and bar games, clocks and books.