What is a Maß of beer?
A Maß is the German word for the amount of beer in a regulation mug, in modern times exactly one liter. The word also serves as a common abbreviation for the Maßkrug, the handled drinking vessel that holds it.
Questions about Maß
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How much does a Maß measure in liters?
A modern Maß is exactly one liter, though the Maßkrug is built slightly larger to leave room for the head. In the southern German Austro-Bavarian areas the Maß originally measured 1.069 liters, and in Switzerland between 1838 and 1877 and in Baden until 1871 it was 1.5 liters.
What is the difference between a Maßkrug and a beer stein?
A beer stein is a type of vessel that may only be called a Maßkrug if it can hold a regulation quantity of beer. A stoneware mug is one form of beer stein, while English speakers often refer to the vessel simply as a beer mug.
Why does the word Maß have two genders in German?
In its neuter form, das Maß, the word means measure. In its feminine form, die Maß, it refers to a one-liter glass beer mug or its contents and is used in southern Germany and Austria.
What is Maßkrugstemmen or steinholding?
Maßkrugstemmen, also called steinholding, is an endurance sport that involves holding a filled 2.4 kilogram Maß at arm's length. The world record is 45 minutes and 2 seconds, and a governing body exists in the United States as the U.S. Steinholding Association.
How dangerous is a Maßkrug as a weapon?
According to physicist Erich Schuller of the Institute for Forensic Medicine at LMU Munich, a Maßkrug is an effective percussion tool in which each strike is potentially life-threatening. An empty Maß weighs 1.3 kilograms and can produce 8500 newtons in a violent blow, far above the roughly 4000 newtons required to break a human's skullcap.