A beermat is a coaster used to rest glasses of beer (or other beverages) upon. Public houses usually will have them spread out across the tables. They are used not just to protect the surface of the table, but, as they are usually made out of paper, they can also be used to absorb spillages or serve as an ad-hoc notepad. Their main use, however, is as part of an alcohol advertising campaign.

Beermats are not to be confused with bar mats, rectangular pieces of rubber or toweling material used to protect the counter top and/or soak up spilt drinks in a bar or pub.

Contents 1 History 2 Manufacture 3 Beermat images 4 Tegestology 5 References 6 External links

[edit] History

In 1880, the first beermats made of cardboard were introduced by the German printing company, Friedrich Horn.^[1] In 1892, Robert Sputh of Dresden manufactured the first beermat made of wood pulp.^[2] Watney brewery introduced them to the United Kingdom in 1920 to advertise their pale ale.^[2] The packaging company Quarmby Promotions, established in 1872, began manufacturing beermats in Milnsbridge in 1931. After it was taken over by the Katz Group, it moved production to Brighouse and in 2006 to Morley, West Yorkshire, before closing its production in 2009.^[3]

[edit] Manufacture

The Katz Group, based in Weisenbach, Germany, produces 75% of the estimated 5.5 billion beermats in the world^[2], including about two-thirds of the European market and 97% of the US market.^[1] In addition to the factory in Weisenbach, the company has another factory in Großschirma, Germany.^[2]

[edit] Beermat images

Beermats are usually adorned with a customized image - usually advertising a brand of beer, although they can also be used to promote a drinking establishment, sports franchise, businesses or special events. Recently, they have also been used to advertise political messages and parties, such as the UKIP beermats during the 2004 European Elections. Although they appear to be a disposable item, they are in fact quite durable and reusable.

[edit] Tegestology

Some beermats are collectible items. Tegestology is a Latin term defined as the practice of collecting beermats or coasters, with practitioners known as tegestologists. Collecting beermats is an especially popular hobby in Germany, where beermats are known as Bierdeckel. There is an international collector's association called IBV in Germany which has been active since 1958.

The British Beermat Collectors Society was founded shortly afterwards in 1960 and currently has around 300 members spread across the world. Like the IBV, it organises regular meetings for collectors and also publishes a monthly newsletter.

BeermatMania.com was founded in 2004 and boasts a gallery of over 42,000 images of British brewery beer mats based on the British Beermat Collectors Society numbering system. It also has a collectors forum and a monthly newsletter.

Other notable clubs associated with tegestology include two Australian clubs, the South Australian Coaster Collectors Club and New South Wales Coaster Collectors Club. There are many subcategories of tegestologists, including those who are solely interested in porcelain or other specific kinds of beermats.

[edit] References

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[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Beermats

Look up beermat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Beermat Mania - Interactive gallery of British Brewery Beermats
• Informative website on collecting mats
• Worldwide beercoasters catalogue
• Some drop catchers
• Beer mat flipping - Guinness world records and rules
• Bolachas Brasileiras - A Brazilian Beer Coasters Directory
• Collectoin and trade from Russia
• Collectoin of coasters from whole world
• Beer Mat Flipping - How-To Guides, Videos, World Records and Competitions