Private Events Manager Greg is sliding in to talk about a little piece of barware that gets overlooked: the coaster!

My first ideas of bar culture came from cinema, where flashy bottle work and risky drink sliding (as demonstrated in this earnest "Danger Zone" scored video) seemed to be standard behavior. In reality, bars can be pretty mundane places, where the surfaces must be protected for long-term and heavy use. Sometimes bar tops even have historical significance, such as mahogany, or the engraved copper surface of locations like The Ancient Mariner (now Armadillo Ranch) in Manitou Springs, Colorado.

Coasters rose to prominence in the 1700s so wealthy elites wouldn’t have to sully their hands by passing a bottle to each other after their household staff had retired for the night. The name itself came from workmanlike courier ships who would travel from port to port delivering essentials, the coast never leaving the sight of their port or starboard rails. And what’s more essential than beer and wine?

In bad news for trees, the first disposable coasters hit the scene in the late 1800s thanks to the ingenuity of a German inventor named Robert Sputh, and it wasn’t long until they were introduced for promotional purposes in England in 1920 by Watney brewery. You’ll want to familiarize yourself with the regional terms to secure your drink (and your drink’s supportive surface): In the U.K, they’re called a beermat. In Germany, they’re Bierdeckels, and you might signal that you’re ready for another round by placing one on top of your drink. Your server might even mark your coaster with tallies to indicate how many rounds you’ve partaken of when it’s time to settle up your tab, especially if you’re drinking a low-ABV small-serving beer like a Kolsch.

And while we’re talking vocabulary, let’s grow yours with the term for coaster collecting: tegestology! As hobbies go, it’s pretty low cost. Support the local economy with a drink or two, then take your wet coaster home with you. Let’s close out by tagging along with ’60s comedy duo Morecambe and Wise for a trip to Battersea with some satirical tegestologists. There’s an authentic monocle pop in this video. Now that’s comedy!