Bars & Breweries, Product Spotlights

Das Boot Glass Explained

Last updated on Aug 26, 2024
Janine Jones

Celebrate Oktoberfest with the iconic das boot glass to highlight German beer culture. Shaped like a boot with a long, slender design, this unique glassware is not just a novelty item, but it is also perfect for serving large quantities of beer at once. Whether you're looking to add a touch of tradition to your establishment or simply want to impress your customers with a memorable drinking experience, the das boot glass is sure to elevate your beer service game.

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What Is a Das Boot?

das boot glass filled with beer

A beer boot glass, commonly known as “das boot” in America, is a beer glass shaped like a boot. Das boot (pronounced dahs bohht) translates to “the boat” in German, while “beer boot” translates to “bierstiefel”. Germans do not refer to a beer boot as “das boot”, but rather “bierstiefel” or simply just “stiefel”. The beer-chugging das boot meaning most have adapted today comes from the 2006 film Beerfest in which five friends travel to Germany and compete in an underground beer-drinking competition during Oktoberfest. While Beerfest may be fiction, you can always host your own beer festival.

How Much Beer Is in a Boot?

The amount of beer in a boot differs based on the das boot glass size. The typical size of a German beer boot is 2 liters, which is approximately 5 pints. That means there are usually about 67 ounces in a das boot.

Das Boot Sizes

engraved das boot glass with handle filled with light beer

Not ready to stock up on 67-ounce beer glasses? That’s alright! Beer boot glasses come in a variety of sizes to suit different preferences and occasions. Whether you prefer a smaller glass for a quick drink or a larger one for a longer session, there's a das boot size for every need.

Some beer boot sizes available include:

  • 9 ounces
  • 12.5 ounces
  • 17.5 ounces
  • 35.2 ounces

How to Drink Das Boot

Watch our video on how to drink beer from a boot to learn how to use this unique glass correctly.


Spilling is more common when drinking from a beer boot because of its unique shape, and no one wants their favorite fall beer all down their shirt. The splashing most notably comes from the toe of the glass. The shape of the glass causes an air bubble to form at the toe while drinking. Once the beer recedes to a certain point in the boot, the bubble erupts and a tidal wave of beer pours out onto the drinker.

However, there is a strategic way to avoid a das boot mess. This is how to drink beer from a boot:

  1. Start by drinking from the beer boot glass with the toe pointing upwards.
  2. Slowly start to rotate the boot 90 degrees as you drink.
  3. Make sure the beer is at a full 90 degrees by the time the beer is almost to the ankle of the boot.

Show your customers the proper way to drink das boot while serving them a signature Oktoberfest charcuterie board!

Beer Boot Glass History

The history behind the German beer boot has a few different tales:

English Riding Club Beer Boot Origin

English horse riding and hunting clubs in the 1800s created glass drinking boots to mimic their riding boots, complete with spur straps, and would drink from these beer boot mugs at their hunting lodges. The English beer boot mugs are not a highly sought-after collector’s item. While they ran out of style in the mid-late 1800s, they became popular in Germany in the mid-1800s, lost the spurs and straps, and were manufactured to hold a higher volume of beer.

Prussian General Beer Boot Origin

A Prussian general promised his troops that, if they were successful in their next battle, he would take off his own boot, fill it with beer, and drink out of it. Once their battle was won and sanitary issues became a concern for the Prussian General, he had a glass boot made to drink the beer out of instead. The tradition carried on to German troops in WWI as a sign of good luck, providing a sense of comfort and comradery prior to battle.

If you’ve decided to adopt the beer boots tradition this year, we recommend serving a lighter type of beer since beer boots are typically used for their high volume capacity. A darker lager may be too heavy for beer-boot chugging. With so many different beer glasses, there’s only one that is so iconically German and perfect for your Oktoberfest celebrations.

The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. Please refer to our Content Policy for more details.
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