Thoughts on pewter tankards

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I have a leather tankard similar to the one below which was given as a present years ago, i have never tried drinking beer from it as i don't like the feel of it on my lips i guess a bushy beard and tash may help. :laugh8:




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I have a leather tankard similar to the one below which was given as a present years ago, i have never tried drinking beer from it as i don't like the feel of it on my lips i guess a bushy beard and tash may help. :laugh8:




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At festivals, I actually prefer drinking out of my horn rather than the tankard
 

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". . . everybody knows that there are many persons who would rather not drink ale or porter at all, than drink either out of a glass. Their affection for pewter pots is so great, that one cannot help thinking there is something in the peculiar metal itself as palatable to their taste, though only put to their mouths, as is the liquid which it contains. One of the late Irish M.P.'s was so devotedly attached to drinking porter out of a pewter pot, that he rather preferred running the risk, when he went into any tavern, of being voted, as he used to say, " ungenteel," than submit to the privation of not having the liquid in a pewter pot. His plan for concealing his metallic partialities from the other persons in the room, was to instruct the waiter, when he brought in the porter, to place it under the table. This done, the ex-honourable gentleman bowed down his head, and took draught after draught of Whitbread and Co.'s " Entire,'' as occasion required, replacing the pewter pot with its contents, each time, in its locality beneath the table."
"Sketches in London" by James Grant, 1838, pages 126 - 127. From Barclay Perkins blog.

If you like the taste, then keep going! I'm not sure some of the younger drinkers would care to acquire the taste though.

Interesting, I have a stainless pint glass from Glastonbury this year. Obviously has a neutral taste, but head retention is consistently poor in the vessel.
That's a great quote!
 
". . . everybody knows that there are many persons who would rather not drink ale or porter at all, than drink either out of a glass. Their affection for pewter pots is so great, that one cannot help thinking there is something in the peculiar metal itself as palatable to their taste, though only put to their mouths, as is the liquid which it contains. One of the late Irish M.P.'s was so devotedly attached to drinking porter out of a pewter pot, that he rather preferred running the risk, when he went into any tavern, of being voted, as he used to say, " ungenteel," than submit to the privation of not having the liquid in a pewter pot. His plan for concealing his metallic partialities from the other persons in the room, was to instruct the waiter, when he brought in the porter, to place it under the table. This done, the ex-honourable gentleman bowed down his head, and took draught after draught of Whitbread and Co.'s " Entire,'' as occasion required, replacing the pewter pot with its contents, each time, in its locality beneath the table."
"Sketches in London" by James Grant, 1838, pages 126 - 127. From Barclay Perkins blog.

If you like the taste, then keep going! I'm not sure some of the younger drinkers would care to acquire the taste though.

Interesting, I have a stainless pint glass from Glastonbury this year. Obviously has a neutral taste, but head retention is consistently poor in the vessel.
Interesting quote!
 
Favourite pewter tankard memory for me is Colonel Jaspers Bar in Bristol underneath Habitat. Old gent at the door in tails, sawdust on the floor, two beers one called Old Jollop and a Lager called NATS. Allegedly Naturally Aged Traditionally Strong but maybe not.
Beer was sold in pewter tankards or half pewter tankards, wine, champagne and port could also be bought by the quarter and half pint.
Jacobs crackers on the bar and if you were having a session you bought half gallon copper jugs full of beer to pour at your table.
We thought the beer was Courage Directors but hand pull into a copper jug and then poured into a pewter tankard it tasted amazing.

Sadly the pub is long gone, if I could turn back time.
 
This one used to be my favourite but it's got a glass bottom and started leaking from it.
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There's a certain irony (or should that be pewtery) in consuming ale from a tankard bearing the logo of an organisation that eschews alcohol and tobacco (and from my attempts at courting a young lady from good SA stock, several other activities outside marriage).
I have a number of tankards inherited from my dad including a few pewter ones and a couple of my own. Other than dust I can't think they've had much in them - I might have to give them a go. Anyone know when they took the lead out? Some of the oldest will be 50-60 years old.
 
There's a certain irony (or should that be pewtery) in consuming ale from a tankard bearing the logo of an organisation that eschews alcohol and tobacco (and from my attempts at courting a young lady from good SA stock, several other activities outside marriage).
I have a number of tankards inherited from my dad including a few pewter ones and a couple of my own. Other than dust I can't think they've had much in them - I might have to give them a go. Anyone know when they took the lead out? Some of the oldest will be 50-60 years old.
You can tell by the colour - lead ones are a very dull dark grey, plus the metal is softer and easily bent out of shape.
 
Some old pewter contains lead, which is poisonous. If the pewter is relatively new it is safe. But I'd think twice before using a pewter cup on a regular basis if it is older than say 50 years.
 

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