Personalised engraved tankards – a more diverse gift than you might think

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People love receiving gifts that are personalised. An engraved tankard with a personal message is often seen as an ideal gift for a father or grandfather, but there is really no reason why it should be restricted by age or gender.

Many senses

Many beer drinkers don’t care about what glass they drink their beer from, but discerning drinkers know that the experience of drinking beer appeals to many senses. A clear glass shows off the colour of the beer and its head. Before the first taste, there is the enjoyment of the beer’s aroma. To satisfy the sense of touch, slowly tilt a glass tankard and feel the beer on your tongue.

A long tradition

The first record of people using engraved tankards was in Germany in the 15th Century. The earliest engraved tankards were made from wood and were later replaced by pot tankards with lids. In the 19th Century, lidless tankards decorated with metalwork were popular.

Pewter tankards with glass bottoms were produced in England. There is a legend that if you drained your glass and found a shilling at the bottom, you were said to have accepted that you would join the Royal Navy, and the press gangs would take you to a ship. An alternative story is that a glass bottom tankard enabled you to see an enemy approaching.

In the Victorian age, people mainly drank beer from pewter tankards, as glass was expensive. The first mass produced glass tankards were introduced in the 1920s. By the 1930s, beer was served by most pubs in a dimpled glass with a handle. By the 1960s, the dimple glass was largely replaced by the straight sided glass without a handle.

Handle or no handle

Though most bars nowadays serve beer in straight glasses, some beer drinkers prefer a tankard with a handle. Engraved beer glasses are available in both styles, so choose the one that the recipient prefers.

A gift for all occasions

There are many reasons to give an engraved tankard: birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries. Sometimes you want to give a personalised present to thank someone for helping out.

Businesses give tankards to recognise employee achievement or as competition prizes for team building games.

Engraved tankards can also be given to members of a sports team who have won a special match and might want to celebrate with a tipple or two.

A tankard does not have to be restricted to men. Many women enjoy a pint of beer or lager and love the personalised gift of an engraved tankard. There is no law that strong ale has to be drunk from a tankard, so cider and lager drinkers often love tankards too. Many people for health reasons are cutting down on drinking and turning to alcohol-free beers, but still care about the glass they drink from.

An engraved tankard is usually presented in a gift box and this makes it feel special. The great thing about engraved glass tankards is that they are not expensive. Prices including engraving start at less than £10. If you want to spend more, crystal glass tankards cost around £30 and upwards.

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