The Upper Midwest Society of Steinologists

We are a group of antique beer stein collectors. As collectors our interests are varied. We study all types of beer steins and collect them and many related items and other antiques. Upper Midwest Society of Steinologists web-site would like to reach out to others who may have an interest in collectible beer steins, to provide some basic information about steins and then feature links to where you can find more information. If you have an interest in collectible beer steins we hope you will join us.

 Founded in 1968, our club has about 35 members that meet in March, May, September and November.  Meetings include stein talk and interesting speakers and usually a pot luck meal.  Members come from Minnesota and across the river in Wisconsin  and Iowa too. Do check the "About Us"  page of this website for pictures and more..

We are working hard to build our membership this year and we will welcome you heartily and introduce you to many other collectors. It is a fun and interesting group.

Membership in the Upper Midwest Society of Steinologists is $10 per year. That amount is for a single or a couple.  Go to our membership page if you have any questions there is a place for you to join.

~ An Early Mettlach Stein ~

By Roy De Selms, S.C.I. Master Steinologist This stein can be classed as early Mettlach since it has the early "Eagles with Medallions" applied mark. The mark shown on this stein has the "M" for Mettlach below the "VB" for Villeroy & Boch, but no dates visible. Other versions that are larger and more detailed have the dates "1822" and "1844" visible and presumably for prizes won by Villeroy & Boch. Other probably later versions of this stein have been seen with the form number "216" as shown above (but no associated "M" for Mettlach) written or impressed, but the stein itself has not appeared in any Mettlach catalog from 1885 or thereafter. This stein can be dated from 1844 to early 1870's on account of the early form number and because it has no capacity mark in liters. Germany did not adopt the metric system until 1875 and therefore steins marked with capacities in liters will have been made after that date. Conversely steins without capacity marks in liters were probably produced before 1875. Read the whole story at the website link :http://www.steincollectors.org/

The 2013 SCI Convention will be held June 25-28 in Los Angeles, California.

Location - Embassy Suites, Los Angeles at LAX

Main day trip - AMOCA - (American Museum of Ceramic Art) to visit the largest collection of Mettlach of Bob Wilson.

More information will be found in the December issue of Prosit and posted here as it becomes available.

Acquired July 2012

Pete Kroll: Glasses, Mugs & Steins. "Miscellaneous breweriana auctions", , April 1991 +, English. (Auction catalogs including prices from 1991 through 2001)

Istvan & Zsuzsa Szemere: The Beer Stein Book. "Pictorial overview of the author's collection", Germany, 2011, English/Hungarian. (216 pages of full color photos and some text in Hungarian, with an insert of english translation of the text.)

Sluka, Horst: Siebenburgisch-sachsisches Zinn. "Pewter from 6 cities in old Transylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries", Germany, 1990, German. (173 pages of photos of old steins, tablewares, etc. from various companies in the 1600s-1700s. Includes photos, sketches of handle & thumblift decorations, pewter marks. Also marks and design characteristics from other cities in the area.)

Hiersemann, Karl W.: Deutsche Fayence und Porzellan Hausmaler, Volume 1. "An extensive treatise on expert German decorators on both faience and porcelain.", Leipzig, 1925, German. (249 pages of extensively footnoted historical text including photos. The first 106 pages focus on faience and the rest covers porcelain. This is Vol. 1 of a 2-volume work.)

Steve Smith, a member of SCI has begun his own website. It is a great place to learn about steins. He has an excellent page on why beer steins have lids and it is not for the reason most commonly given the German purity law (CCL --covered container law) --we must dig deeper than that stein people.  Do check his site it is very good reading   WWW.STEVEONSTEINS.COM

Pewter Repair Services I Offer: I can attach a lid to your stein (either your original lid, your replacement lid, or a lid from my inventory), attach a thumblift to your stein (your original, your replacement, or one from my inventory), straighten or remove dents from pewter fittings, repair/restore your original pewter lid (modeling and casting) and more. I use chemicals to age my pewter repairs, and am usually able to match or reproduce the natural patina, although this cannot be 100% guaranteed. I do not sell parts, molds, chemicals or other supplies for pewter repair. steinsetc@charter.net

All stein collectors are familiar with the picture of a child, dressed in a cowl, with radishes in one hand, a filled beer stein in the other, smiling devilishly from a stein decoration. The saying on the stein is usually Gruss aus München, or translated, "Regards from Munich". But how many collectors know that this figure is really a semi-comic take-off of the official Munich coat-of-arms? Here are a few historic notes about Munich, its coat-of-arms, and the Munich Child (Münchner Kindl): It is not known when the "Munich Child" (Munchner Kindl) appeared in the coat-of-arms for the first time or who gave it the sympathetic name. Some representations of the fifteenth century already show the child figure instead of the monk. The metamorphosis was not brought about by some order of the sovereign, but instead by artists, by the seal and copper engravers, by the sculptors and painters who transformed the old bearded town-monk into a curly-haired child resembling the Christ child who appears with blessing hands on the altars at Christmas. A medallion which the town gave in 1577 to the Brotherhood of crossbow marksmen, as well as painted "cartoons" of 1579, show the "Munich Child".

The good humor and inexhaustible fancy of Munich artists of the second half of the nineteenth century added various supplements to the image of the child: a laurel wreath, a foaming beer stein, radishes and pretzels. These humorous additions made the Munchner Kindl the well-known symbol and guardian spirit of the city and its festive events. I

Pork Roast with Caraway
Of the many ways to cook pork, roasting is one of my favorites. It receives a nicely browned exterior and a moist interior with this method. This recipe combines the German flavors of caraway and beer to make a roast that will hold up well to pureed potatoes and sauerkraut.

Serves 4 to 8, depending on the size of your roast. (1 serving per 1/2 pound of uncooked roast.)

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

•1 bone-in pork roast, 2-4 lbs.

•1 T. oil for browning

•Freshly ground pepper

•1/4 tsp. salt

•1 T. caraway

•2 c. beef broth, divided

•2 carrots, peeled and quartered lengthwise

•1 onion, peeled and cut into 10 sections

•2-4 slices of bacon (optional)

•1 bottle of dark beer, 12 oz. (amber or stout)

•2 tsp. cornstarch (optional)

Preparation: Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a pan large enough for your roast. Coat roast in pepper, salt and caraway. Brown roast on all sides in the pan. While roast is browning, set up your roasting rack. I coated the roaster in non-stick foil and laid out the carrots and the onions for my rack to cut down on cleanup. Place browned roast on "rack", fatty side up (if any). Pour 1 cup of broth into browning pan and scrape up the little bits. Pour around vegetables. Add 1/2 of the bottle of beer. If roast has little or no fat you may choose to lay 2-4 slices of bacon over the top. Place in oven and bake until meat thermometer registers 160 to 170°F at the thickest part, at least 20 minutes per pound of roast. Add beer to pan as necessary, so the bottom doesn't dry out. Remove from oven to a platter, wrap in foil and let rest 15 minutes.

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