Pumpclips?

[Solstice]

Could someone please tell me exactly what a pumpclip is?

I have contacted, via the internet, many breweries in the British Isles in reference to obtaining beer labels. Many of the websites reference collecting pumpclips and beermats. Is a beermat a coaster?!?

The label collection actually started as a project, but turned into a collection. Odd story.

I am removing whatever labels I can thru what I drink, but some companies are willing to send many labels without hesitation.

My son has a strong interest in the German beers. It's kind of a father son project. I am trying help him gain respect for beer rather than just drink that mass produced panther p*ss.

Any help would be wonderful.

Thank you all!

Cheers!
MikeIt's a dog eat dog world... and I'm wearin' Milkbone underwear. - Norm Peterson

[ray m]

I believe that a beer mat is a coaster made of paperboard. Regarding pump clips, they are usually made of plastic, sometimes ceramic or brass, that are the signs/logos of a particular beer that is being dispensed from the pump that the sign is mounted on. It mounts on the pump handle with a plastic or metal clip. I personally have at least 70 of them. If you are interested in starting to collect these, I have amassed all of my pump clips from ebay, under the "beer signs" category. If you want me to refer you to the one individual that has sold all of these pump clips to me, let me know. He is from England and regularly obtains large amounts of them.

[Solstice]

ray m,

Thanks for the info. For the time being I thik I'll stick with the labels. If I start an additional collection my my wife is going to put me and my breweriana out on the front lawn.

I will keep it in the back of my mind, though.


Cheers!
Mike

[Richard English]

Pumpclips are, indeed, the clips that fit onto the truncheon-shaped handles that operate a traditional beer engine. They have the advantage that they can be changed should the landlord wish to dispense a different beer from a particular pump. Traditionally, when a cask runs out, the pump clip is turned to face away from the customers' side of the bar so that customers will know not to order that brew.

Beermats are made of a kind of thick, porous cardboard and the material has many advantages over plastic. Apart from being more ecologically friendly, it is very absorbant and a mat can absorb a surprising amount of spilt beer!