First up—two questions about beer. Pewter to the People Why do German beer steins come with hinged lids? Measure for Measure How many pints in a firkin? Pewter to the People To keep the flies out. In the Middle Ages, Germany experienced several massive fly swarms at the same time Europe was suffering from the “Black Death,” in which millions of people were killed by the bubonic plague. Believing the flies were responsible for the disease, German rulers passed a law that all food and drink containers be fitted with a hinged lid. Although the law didn’t stop the plague—which was actually caused by fleas that hopped from rats to humans—it did mark the beginning of a more sanitary age in Europe. Most food and beverage containers lost their lids after the plague subsided, but lidded German beer steins remained in vogue for three more centuries…and still exist today. Measure for Measure In merry old England, a firkin was a unit of measurement used by brewers. Whenever someone was going to throw a big party, they had to first pick up a firkin or two.
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