Pewter Tankards
Pewter tankards, goblets and mugs
Real ale served from a pewter pitcher or pewter jug and drunk from a pewter tankard, pewter beer mug or a pewter stein is a Northern European tradition that has extended throughout the world.
Medieval pewter jugs, mugs, pitchers and goblets command high prices in auction houses around the world and antique tankards also attract many collectors. Even modern examples which have some unique association – e.g.: with a learned society, club or sports team – have their admirers. Pewter mugs and tankards are also proving popular as a decorative item in pubs, bars and restaurants; one establishment - Ye Olde England Inn in Stowe Vermont USA – has even gone as far as attempting to make the Guinness Book of Records by asking customers to denote a Pewter Tankard to hang from the ceiling of their Mr Pickwick’s restaurant. To date they have collected over a hundred tankards.
Although tankards and steins come in all shapes and sizes the most common is cylindrical probably because this is the most space efficient. Virtually all have handles and with many 17th and 18th century examples the handles would also have a whistle attached – these were used for attracting waiters. The classic pewter stein originating from Germany has a hinged link which can normally be operated by a single finger thus allowing beer to be drunk using the one hand. It is believed that lid was introduced as a sanitary measure, at around the time of the Black Death, in the 15th century, to prevent the small flies which plagued Central Europe around that time from entering the beer.
A popular variation on the pewter mug made entirely of metal was the substitution of a glass bottom. There are many theories as to why this originated, from the simply social one of being able to maintain eye contact while drinking to the more practical one of being able to keep a close watch on the table while gambling. Perhaps the most convincing theory however is that associated with the avoidance of taking the ‘king’s shilling’. A popular way of enlisting people into the British Army in the 18th and early 19th century was for the recruiting sergeant to place a shilling in someone’s beer and when it entered their mouth at the end of the drink to claim that they had voluntarily accepted the shilling as recompense for joining up. By spotting the coin through the glass bottom of the pewter tank it was possible to avoid this crude form of conscription.
An unfortunate side effect of drinking from the earlier forms of pewter was the high incidence of various medical conditions which resulted from the leeching of lead, one of the components of traditional pewter. The more acidic the drink the greater the risk of metal poisoning or gout as the rate of lead leeching was accelerated. This is believed to be one of the reasons why clay jugs, mugs and tankards proved more popular, than the more traditional pewter pint tankard, in cider drinking areas such as Somerset. Thankfully modern pewter is believed to be entirely safe – just as well considering its popularity.
The durability, lustre and malleability of modern pewter together with the fact that it can be readily engraved make it an ideal medium for modern giftware. Pewter beer mugs make ideal gifts for weddings, anniversaries, retirements, etc as well as a popular memento for groups, societies and sports clubs.
