GALLERY 3
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  labels from Romania and Myanmar (former Burma) |
In old times beer was sold in bottles which had a printed label in relief, and the
first paper labels were used more or less from the turning of the century. This form of collection, called labology, is very popular because beer is bottled in almost every corner of the world, and labels come in an incredible variety of different designs although, unlike cans or mats, very few label sets have ever been produced. In most countries labels have fancy colours and a highly detailed print; in east Europe countries they once looked quite dull, but since a few years they have very much improved. Most collectors start by simply peeling them off from empty bottles, while more advanced collectors usually keep in touch with a number of breweries, asking for new unused specimens. |
  English and Australian labels for Arabic countries |
 Nigerian label |
 label from Estonia (late '80s) |
 recent label from Lithuania |
 English label for a commemorative brew |
| Dutch opener, which unfolds and holds tiny dice and cribbage pins in a small drawer  German opener |
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Bottle-openers are often collected in central Europe, especially in Germany and
in the Netherlands, as they might come in many shapes and patterns. The most common ones are made of plain metal, with a brewer's logo or label acting as a handle for the actual opening end. Some others, instead, are much more decorated, and are partially made of plastic or other materials.  old British openers (Allied Breweries, Ind Coope): the sharp end (left) is for piercing flat-top cans, the blunt end (right) for removing bottle caps |
 Australian opener, with a wooden bottle-shaped handle |
| These small cards usually stand on tables in bars and restaurants, as a
form of publicity; sometimes they hold menus, or reservation cards, or they are found in
plastic folders which hold price lists, etc. They are very common in north America, less common in other parts of the world. Despite being quite colourful, they are not a very popular breweriana item.
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KEYRINGS
Gallery 1
Beer Index