Beer steins are gorgeous stoneware pieces that harken back to an era where people would wind down after a long, hard day of work with the help of a delicious beer and their favorite pewter or wooden tankard. Not only are stoneware beer steins significantly more durable and stylish than boring, traditional mass-produced glasses, but they also offer a substantially better drinking experience. Why? Because each style of beer stein utilizes a different shape and size to enhance the taste and quality of certain beers. If you’re interested in creating a line of branded mugs to spread the word about your business while rewarding loyal customers with one-of-a-kind merchandise they’ll treasure and adore, then custom handmade beer steins are a natural choice. But hang on a second… how are you supposed to decide on which beer stein styles will work best for your customers?
Here at Grey Fox Pottery, we’re proud to provide American businesses with all of the resources and support they need to develop innovative marketing strategies that foster growth and success. We also understand full well that you’re too busy running the daily operations of your business and putting out fires to spend countless hours digging through articles on optimal stein styles for different drinks. That’s why we’ll be taking the next few minutes to run you through twelve beer steins that make drinking a nice pint of beer even more refreshing and fun.
Your Quest for the Perfect Beer Stein Begins
The Bavarian Stein
The Bavarian is one of the most popular stein styles we offer. Its name honors Bavaria, a beautiful region in southeastern Germany that’s been creating beer steins for centuries. This stein variant features a relatively wide base that slowly tapers toward the top, encouraging users to swirl their beer around while drinking. This action actually releases the beer’s aromatic compounds, enhancing its smell and flavor. This feature makes the Bavarian a great choice for most light beers that don’t bear a strong smell (like wheat beers).’
The Traditional Stein
As the quintessential beer stein style, the Traditional tankard works well for almost any type of alcoholic beverage. The Traditional’s generous loop handle gives users a perfect grip on their brew, and its tall, wide body provides plenty of space to show off your brand’s logo or artwork on a clay medallion. Like the Bavarian, the Traditional features a wide base, making it the perfect choice for beers that are intended to be swirled when tasted (including stouts and ales).
The Chalice
The Chalice tankard started out as a style for renaissance festivals. However, over time, this stein type became so popular that breweries and pubs started asking for it, too! The Chalice features a thick stem and a bowl at the top. This wide opening allows beer drinkers to take in the full flavor profiles and aromas of their drink, making it a fantastic partner for German maibocks, pale ales and eisbocks.
The Barrel Stein
When you drink from a Barrel mug, it feels like you’re holding a little beer barrel in your hand. But that’s not to say it doesn’t hold plenty of brew! These 20 to 22-oz. Stoneware pieces feature a sleek, bold design that pairs well with any beer. If you’re looking for a unique stein that’s easy to use and strong enough for lively toasts with good friends, then the Barrel is an excellent choice for you.
The Tavern Stein
The Tavern stein is slip cast in a plaster mold using an incredibly smooth white stoneware, creating an attractive, elegant shape. The Tavern’s curved lip encourages the formation of a thick foam head at the top, bringing forth the beer’s full flavor and smells. That’s why most beer experts pair it with wheat beers and other subtle drinks that need that extra aromatic boost.
The Potbelly Stein
The Potbelly stein bears a distinct design that’s bulbous at the bottom of the mug and features a narrow opening. Like the Bavarian, its wider base compels beer lovers to swirl their beverage of choice around while drinking, releasing aromas that improve its scent and taste, making it a good choice when paired with Belgian ales and stouts.
The Hourglass
The Hourglass is specifically designed to maintain the foam head of beer, enhancing its look and flavor. Because its top rim slopes out so drastically, it forms a lip that can trap the foam head of beer with ease, making the Hourglass a natural companion for ales and IPAs.
The Smokestack
The Smokestack is another renaissance festival mug that quickly gained favor in breweries and pubs as beer lovers realized how effectively its curved lip could entrap the foam of their favorite drinks. Combine this flavor-enhancing trait with its large capacity (up to 24 ounces!), and it should come as no surprise why beer experts favor the Smokestack with a wide variety of brews, including wheat beers, pale lagers and India pale ales.
The Lodge Stein
As its name suggests, the Lodge beer stein is the perfect mug when you feel like warming up and getting cozy in the company of good friends. This handsome, stout mug has a wide lip and body, making it a solid choice for beer lovers who like to swirl their drinks. However, the Lodge’s ideal companion is undoubtedly a hot alcoholic drink. Its generous handle makes it easy to hold, and it’s wide enough to grasp with both hands, making it perfect for a healthy dose of hot toddy or apple pie.
The Pilsner
The Pilsner stein is available in two styles: a wide variant with a handle and a longer, taller design without one. In either case, the slender size of the mug helps to keep the beer it holds bubbly. Moreover, since the mugs are wider at the top, they help to retain the foamy head of beer for longer, improving its flavor and scent. That’s why most beer enthusiasts will pair the Pilsner with lighter beers, including pilsners, naturally.
The Hofbrau
The Hofbrau beer mug is one of the most popular German stein styles in existence, mostly because it’s incredibly comfortable to hold. The slightly curved lip near the top of the mug also helps to encourage the formation of a thick foam head, unleashing the beer’s natural aroma and flavors. Like the Smokestack and Tavern, the Hofbrau is a great choice if you’ve developed a thirst for wheat beers.
The Pint Glass
The Pint Glass is a staple for breweries and pubs across the nation, and for good reason! Not only is this style incredibly easy to clean and stack, but it also features a slight lip that fosters a thicker foam head, making the beer inside smell and taste even better. Most beer gurus suggest pairing the Pint Glass with lagers and ales, but this style works well with pretty much any type of beer, including IPAs, porters and stouts.
Contact Grey Fox Pottery
Interested in creating a line of high-quality branded stoneware steins for your business? Then be sure to call or message us today. You can also reach out to us if you’re having trouble determining which stein style will work best for your customers or patrons. We’d be more than happy to help you with anything you need.