A beer stein is a traditional German beer mug, made of pewter, silver, wood, porcelain, earthenware, stoneware or glass. Many steins have a hinged lid and levered thumb lift. The lid started out as a sanitary measure during the summers of the late 1400s, when central Europe was overwhelmed with swarms of flies. This soon led to laws being passed that required food and beverage containers to be covered. The hinged lid was placed within reach of the mug handle, that way a person could keep their beer covered and open it with the same hand holding the stein. Many traditional beer drinkers still drink from steins today.