August 2008

Beer culture

Beercoasters that represent the world

Bettina Costa drinks only every now and then a shandy. However, the Argentine possesses around 20,000 beercoasters from all over the world.

Text: Matthias Bill, Photo: Dominic Ott

Everything began with a beercoaster from Warteck. By now, they are around 20,000 pieces from 2,600 different breweries. The Argentine Bettina Costa possesses beercoasters from 163 countries, among which we can mention exotic examples like Samoa, Laos or Mauritius. Especially the South American coasters are close to her heart. The “multicoloured cardboards” are, in that continent, not as common as in Switzerland. Therefore, a quarter of her collection is coming from her new home, Switzerland, where she moved 7 years ago for love.

Also our country and its customs awoke in Bettina Costa the collecting passion. All the Swiss she knew seemed to collect something: telephone cards, sugar bags or city maps. Of course, she wanted also to respect the local customs. When she realized, that really not the whole Switzerland, but simply the family and friends of her husband were caught by the collector's fever, it was too late. And somehow also fate. Before she came to Switzerland, she lived in Zárate, the Argentine beer capital. The parents' house of her man is a former brewery and two years ago they moved together to Rheinfelden, the Swiss beer capital. From the bedroom, in winter when there is little vegetation, they see the Swiss flag blowing on top of the Feldschlösschen brewery.

Nord Korea is still missing

With so many beercoasters, it is difficult for Bettina Costa to say which her favourite is: “But I like very much the carnival series of Cardinal due to its design.” To get an idea, just visit her website where you can see the whole collection. The informatics specialist and her husband scan between 2,000 and 3,500 new beercoasters per year. Therefore, her website www.coaster.ch is at the moment a reference catalogue for collectors of the whole world. And due to the active bartering, friendships with people in other countries were developed. Nevertheless Bettina Costa has still a want list: “Up to now I couldn’t make any contact in North Korea. But the Principality of Liechtenstein will be soon represented. I will go there myself”, means she with a smile.

The use of the beercoaster and the meaning of the term in German

“Bierdeckel” (Bier: beer - Deckel: cover) means beercoaster in German. This confusing term is due to the pleasant custom of drinking beer in the open air. As a “cover”, it protects the fine brewage against dirt and insects. Of course, it is also used as notepad and as advertising medium. But basically the absorbent cardboard will be used to catch the condensed water outside the glass.