Beer Boots, Das Boot Glass, Beer Boot Steins

Why do people call beer boots "Das Boot"?
We know, "Das Boot" means "the boat" in German. The term "Das Boot" meaning a glass drinking beer boot entered the American mainstream with the release of the movie Beerfest in 2006. The movie featured national teams drinking from 2 liter glass boots. Go to any college campus in 2006 and "Das Boot" was all the rage.

Das Boot was a movie about a German submarine?!?!
Yes it was, however they did not drink boots of beer on board of the submarine. The film would have gone in a very different direction had they started pounding beers aboard Das Boot.

The History Behind Beer Boots
Known as a "Bierstiefel" in German, most accounts of beer boot origins go back to the German military at the beginning of the 20th century. One common belief is that during World War I when German soldiers passed around a leather boot of beer before heading into battle. Soldiers would flick the combat boot before drinking from it for good luck and again after drinking to wish next soldier good luck. Another origin story suggests that a Prussian general swore to his troops that he would drink beer from his boot dependent on the successful outcome in a coming battle. After the victory, the general ordered that a glass be fashioned in the shape of his boot to fulfill the promise without having to drink beer that tasted like his feet.

How does one drink from a beer boot?
The movie Beerfest popularized the theory that "the secret" to drinking out of a beer boot is to point the toe sideways to avoid the explosion of beer in ones face. With a glass this shape, an air pocket forms in the toe as beer is consumed. To prevent spilling, the standard trick is to rotate the boot so the toe points to either side, thus releasing the air pocket in a controlled fashion. This does alleviate the occasional surprise, but many prefer the added challenge of "toe up" Das Boot rules.

Oktoberfest Haus 'Haus' Beer Boot Drinking Game Rules:

• 1. The beer boot is passed around a group with individuals taking a sip and passing to the left (unless multiple boots are in use).
• 2. Once the boot is first picked up, it cannot touch the table or be set down until empty.
• 3. Each player must flick the beer boot prior to and after taking a sip.
• 4. If you get splashed in the face, you take an extra drink.
• 5. The beer boot toe has to remain pointed upward and no turning of the beer boot is allowed. (Allowing the toe to face sideways is for amateurs only!)
• 6. If you finish the boot, the person before you buys the next fill.

The difference between mouth blown and machine pressed beer boots:

• Mouth Blown Beer Boots: European made mouth blown beer boots is where it all began. Mouth blown beer boots are individually hand crafted by skilled artisan glass makers in the finest German, Austrian and Polish glass factories. Mouth blown boots are of heirloom quality although as with any hand made glass, it is perfectly normal to find slight abnormalities such as air bubbles and ridges in the glass. Mouth blown beer boots are fragile and the utmost of care should be used during their use. Oktoberfest Haus carries the 2 liter mouth blown beer boot both blank by leading brands including SAHM and Rastal and with a variety of Germany brewery logos.
• Machine Pressed Beer Boots: Machine pressed beer boots can withstand more abuse than their mouth blown counterpart as they are often made of much thicker glass. Machine pressed beer boots are manufactured by pressing two halves of the glass boot together, forming a slight ridge down the front and toe and down the back of the boot. Refer to the product page of each beer boot to find out whether yours is Machine Pressed or Mouth Blown.

Beer Boot Gifts:
Beer boots make popular gifts including groomsmen and wedding gifts, graduation gifts, birthday gifts or during the holiday season. We started selling beer boots for Oktoberfest and quickly found we sell more boots during wedding season and Christmas season. If your friends love beer as much as you do, they'll love getting a beer boot for any occasion.

Beer Boot Customization:
We offer a selection of boots that are can be personalized with your name or other text. These are sturdy 1 liter boots with several different designs. We also offer a selection of glass boots with pewter crests that can be engraved, although we do not offer engraving services.