Beermat

A beermat is a coaster used to rest glasses of beer or other beverages upon. They are used to protect the surfaces and because they are made of highly absorbent pulp board, they are used to absorb spillages. Of course, they only became... [more]

A beermat is a coaster used to rest glasses of beer or other beverages upon. They are used to protect the surfaces and because they are made of highly absorbent pulp board, they are used to absorb spillages. Of course, they only became mainstream once the major breweries recognised the benefit of advertising their range of beers, spirits or other alcoholic drinks on these beermats.

Their are alternative names or spellings to describe beermats, often spelt as beer mats, or referred to as dripmats (also, drip mats), and in the United States and many other places they are invariably referred to as coasters. Whatever the preferred method used to describe these products, the reality is, there are probably as many “beermats” printed with non alcohol related messages on them as there are with a beer or spirit.

Tegestology is a Latin term defined as the practice of ‘collecting beermats or coasters’, with collectors known as tegestologists . Typically testologists will concentrate on historical or social changes within specific time frames, designs, topics, use and of course the engineering processes used in their production. Many of these collectors will have huge collections and many of them spend a great deal of time exchanging series mats, swapping information sources and there is also a brisk trade in the re-sale of specific beermats.