Glorious Tankards
From the Vikings to the Tudors, tankards have played an important part in social events involving beer drinking throughout history.
Jackson Trophies have a range of personalised beer tankards to choose from, which we’re sure will play an important role in your own beer swilling circles.
A tankard is grand and glorious mug type object that has a hinged cover and a handle to hold onto, making it a useful drinking apparatus for when spontaneous toasts are announced around the table.
The decoration of tankards varies quite a bit, depending on what time period they come from. Some were made from pewter, which historically was an alloy made of tin and lead. Other tankards have been known to be made from clay, silver and glass, with a host of decorative artworks emblazoned on them.
These days tankards are regarded as collector's items, often finding a home in an ornamental display cabinet. Originally they were handcrafted from wood and used in drinking taverns. The tankards that were often seen with lids were invented in Germany way back in the 1400’s and they are commonly known as steins, made from decorated stoneware. Similar designs can be found in later periods using pewter, silver and glass.
A number of theories are in circulation with regards to the reasoning behind putting a lid on the stein. One theory is that during the time period that steins were invented, many of the drinking establishments were of poor structure and the lid was used to prevent a bit of the tavern's ceiling falling into the tankard. Another reason given is that the lid was used to prevent spillages, especially when a medieval barroom brawl broke out.
Many of the tankards around the 1400’s featured glass bottoms. The reason for this is because they were used to look through whilst drinking, which was useful for anyone who needed to be on the lookout for an attack.
At Jackson Trophies you’ll find a wide variety of tankards that can be personalised and engraved. They can be presented as an award or given to someone as a gift.
