Breweriana and Antique Beer Items

Breweriana spans a wide range of items having to do with beer and brewing. Key categories include beer cans, beer steins, beer trays, beer signs, beer bottle labels, and bottle openers, plus more unusual items such as tap knobs and bar statues. Many collectors also focus on specific brands such as Hamms, Pabst, and Budweiser. Beer is one of the most widely consumed beverages in human history - the Chinese have been brewing it for over 5,000 years, and the Greeks and Romans revered it as a healthy beverage. But it was in the middle ages in Europe that beer achieved widespread consumption, because it was often cleaner than the water. Beer has always been brewed in vats and barrels, but bottling has been around for over 600 years (the earliest bottles were made of leather). Glass bottles became more common in the 17th century, and beer cans came along in about 1935. Beer collectibles consist mainly of bottles, cans, and advertising. Advertising comes on coasters, matchbooks, shirts, beer tap knobs and handles, statuettes, labels, and signs. Breweriana also refers to other types of alcohol, such as wine. Wine itself is one of the few consumable collectibles. Wine bottles, labels, openers, glasses, and wine-making tools can also be collectible. There are also collectibles associated with hard alcohol and liqueurs, including a whole range of accessories associated with the liqueur absinthe, such as special glasses and spoons, and distinctive bottles. There are also brands like Jack Daniel's, Jim Beam, Seagrams, Beefeater, and Bacardi, whose bottles, labels, promotional materials, and ephemera are widely collected.