What is Breweriana? A brewery is a facility that produces beer. The oldest brewery in the world still in operation is believed to be the Bavarian State-owned brewery Weihenstephan, found in the German city of the same name, which can trace its history back to 1040. Before Prohibition in the United States, breweries were local institutions.

Antique advertising is among the most popular of all collectibles. Among the many types of vintage advertising being collected, one of the favorite categories is Beer and Brewery memorabilia. A category most collectors call Breweriana!

Breweriana & Beer Advertising Collectibles

In ancient times the most common form of advertising was word of mouth! The brewing industry used Print Ads mainly to promote their beer, filling pages of magazines and newspapers with messages of all kinds. In general, beer advertising was used to convey availability of a product and to provide information regarding the product. These print ads are removed from old magazines and usually framed.

Other forms of advertising used by the brewing industry include Ashtrays, Clocks, Coasters, Coolers, Hats, Lighters, Mirrors, Openers, Patches, Pins, Playing Cards, Posters and Prints, Shirts, Towels and Trays. If you can't find your favorite beer collectible in the above categories try the items in Other Breweriana.

Beer Bottles and Beer Can Collectibles

Beer Bottles are less collectible than beer cans and many other forms of breweriana. However, the most popular bottles are those used in the 1930's and earlier. This is especially true of unusual brands from small breweries with embossed names. Beer Labels are the colorful paper labels intended to be attached to beer bottles and are growing in popularity among collectors. Bottle Caps or Crowns have been collected for many years and offer a compact collectible.

Beer Can collecting became popular in the 1960's and 1970's. Beer in cans were first introduced in 1935 by the G. Krueger Brewing Co. of Newark, NJ. However, the can did not catch on with the American public until after World War II. Cone Tops also called spout top cans or crown top had narrowed or tapered tops which were sealed with bottle cap. Among the rarest and Most Popular beer cans are the pre World War II Flat Top. Pull Tab beer cans don't have much value and so does a perfect Billy Beer can. If you can't find your favorite beer can in the above categories try the items in Other US Beer Cans or Other Non-US Beer Cans.

Drinkware Collectibles

Drinkware collectibles include Glasses, from the United States, Germany and Other Countries. Popular beer glasses include Budweiser, Miller and Other Brands.

Your favorite Lidded Steins from the United States, Germany and Other Countries are available. Collectible Steins without lids from the United States, Germany and Other Countries are also available.

Along with Glasses and Steins find Mugs from the United States, Germany and Other Countries or you could choose Pitchers. Looking for something different? Try Other Drinkware.

Signs and Tap Handle Collectibles

Neon Signs are the most popular and the most fragile of all the Lighted Signs. You can find signs from the following Breweries. Each Brewery has its own category.

Budweiser Coors Corona Guinness Hamm's Heineken Michelob

Miller Pabst Rolling Rock Schlitz Other Brands.

Beer Tap Handles or Tap Knobs from the 1930's to the 1950's are small round knobs with a porcelain insert. Recent tap handles are collectible but the primary interest is in the early ball knobs. You can find tap handles from the following breweries on eBay.

Budweiser Miller Other Brands

Prohibition

Prohibition which lasted from 1919 to 1933 divides the Breweriana collectibles into two periods pre-prohibition and post prohibition. Even though alcohol was illegal, alcoholic drinks were still widely available at "speakeasies" and other underground drinking establishments. Prohibition had a notable effect on the brewing industry in the United States. When Prohibition ended, only half the breweries that had previously existed reopened. All pre-prohibition memorabilia are expensive and highly collectible.

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