Records exist for early steins, and in the sixteenth century the Germans decided that all steins must be covered with lids to protect their contents from flies. One can theorize that the interest in beer and the popularity of beer drinking as a social phenomenon had led steins to be made in a variety of sizes and shapes.

Steins produced in Germany and Europe during the 1800s are beautiful for many reasons. The detailed work in the Mettlach etched steins is truly great and must be compared to great paintings. Some of these steins depict figures of individuals singing, hunting, drinking, dancing, bowling, riding horses, or courting.