{{Short description|Item to stand beverage container on}} [[File:Sandstone beverage coasters.jpeg|thumb|Drink coasters made of [[sandstone]]]] {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}} A '''coaster''', '''drink coaster''', '''beverage coaster''', or '''beermat''' is an object used to rest [[drink]]s upon. Coasters protect the surface of a [[Table (furniture)|table]], or any other surface where a user might place a cup, from condensation created by cold drinks. A coaster on top of a beverage can also be used to show that a drink is not finished or to prevent contamination (usually from insects). Coasters can also stop hot drinks from burning the table surface.
In a [[pub]] or bar, coasters are used to protect tables and bar surfaces. Coasters are typically made of paper, and sometimes are used to write on. Coasters are often branded with [[trademark]]s or [[alcohol advertising]]. Coasters are not to be confused with bar mats, which are larger pieces of rubber or absorbent material that are used to protect countertops or floors and to limit the spread of spilled drinks.
==History== [[File:Silver "bowl" for a wine bottle.jpg|thumb|A silver wine bottle coaster]] The first coasters were designed for [[decanter]]s or wine bottles so that they could be slid (or "coasted") around the dinner table after the servants had retired. They were in common use after about 1760.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cook |first=Peter |date=1988 |title=The Antique Buyer's Handbook |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dq_c_xteltYC&q=antique+coasters |publisher=McLaren Publishing |page=97 |isbn=978-0947889258 }}</ref> Early coasters took the form of a shallow tray or dish made of [[wood]], [[papier-mâché]], silver, or [[silver plate]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Wills |first=Geoffrey |date=2015 |title=Guide to Antique Collecting |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GAtlCgAAQBAJ&q=antique+coasters&pg=PT24 |publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |isbn=978-1515311386 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
In 1880, a German printing company, Friedrich Horn, introduced the first coaster made of [[Cardboard (paper product)|cardboard]].<ref name=toughtimes>{{cite web |title =Tough Times for the Humble Beer Mat | work =Spiegel Online | publisher =SPIEGELnet GmbH | date =2009-04-24 | url =http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,620780,00.html | access-date =2009-05-26 }}</ref> In 1892, [[:de:Robert Sputh|Robert Sputh]] of [[Dresden]] manufactured the first coaster made of wood pulp.<ref name=lastorders>{{cite web | last =Atkinson | first =Simon | title =Last orders for beer mat maker? | work =BBC News | publisher =BBC | date =2009-05-26 | url =https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8049077.stm | access-date =2009-05-26 }}</ref> [[Watney Combe & Reid|Watney's brewery]] introduced them to the [[United Kingdom]] in 1920 to advertise their pale ale.<ref name=lastorders/> The packaging company Quarmby Promotions, established in 1872, began manufacturing coasters in [[Milnsbridge]] in 1931. After Quarmby Promotions was taken over by the Katz Group, it moved production to [[Brighouse]] and in 2006 to [[Morley, West Yorkshire|Morley]], West Yorkshire, before closing its production in 2009.<ref>{{cite web | last =Atkinson | first =Neil | title =Jobs lost as historic beer mat firm moves to Germany | work =Huddersfield Examiner | publisher =Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales Limited | date =2008-12-01 | url =http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-west-yorkshire-news/2008/12/01/jobs-lost-as-historic-beer-mat-firm-moves-to-germany-86081-22374560/ | access-date =2009-05-26 }}</ref>
[[Saucer]]s are also long used in western culture for much the same purpose. When drinking [[tea]], it is customary to use a cup and saucer set. By the mid-twentieth century, drink coasters made in many materials and styles were manufactured for domestic use. Today, they are common as everyday houseware pieces and are also used in restaurants.
==Manufacturing== [[File:Cork coaster.jpg|thumb|Drink coasters made from [[Cork (material)|cork]]]] [[File:Bamboo coaster.jpg|thumb|A drink coaster made from [[bamboo]] strips]] [[File:Franta Sauer 1936.jpg|thumb|Czech men drinking beer with ceramic coasters (1936)]] Coasters are often made from high [[grammage]] [[paperboard]] but may also be constructed from multiple layers of [[tissue paper]]. Drink coasters are also sometimes made from materials such as soapstone, metal, wood, and silicone. Important parameters for coasters include water absorbency, wet rub resistance, and printability.<ref name="auto">''Oxford English Dictionary'' (first citation 1960).</ref>
Some drink coasters are made to be [[Recycling|recyclable]] or [[Biodegradation|biodegradable]]. [[wiktionary:pulpboard|Pulpboard]] coasters, commonly used in bars and restaurants, are designed to absorb condensation and protect surfaces from moisture. Several manufacturers produce custom-printed pulpboard coasters at varying scales.
==Coaster imprints== Coasters are often adorned with a customized image, usually mentioning or [[advertising]] a [[brand]] of beer. However, they can also promote a drinking establishment, [[sports franchise]], businesses, or special events.
==Tegestology== Some coasters are collectible items. ''Tegestology'' is a term coined from [[Latin]] ({{lang|la|[[Wikt:teges|teges]]}} "covering" or "mat", and {{lang|la|etis}}) defined as the practice of collecting coasters, with practitioners known as ''tegestologists''.<ref name="auto"/> A 1960 British [[Pathé News]] short shows comedy duo [[Morecambe and Wise]] as tegestologists.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSjjGZtqTao |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/oSjjGZtqTao |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live|title=Morecambe And Wise (1960)|date=13 April 2014|work=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> {{clear}}
==References== {{Commons category|Coasters}} {{Wiktionary|coaster}} {{Reflist}}
{{Bartending}} {{Paper products}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Bartending equipment]] [[Category:Beer advertising]] [[Category:Beer vessels and serving]] [[Category:Collecting]] [[Category:Domestic implements]] [[Category:Drinkware]] [[Category:Ephemera]] [[Category:Paper products]] [[Category:Serving and dining]]