Puzzle mugs and jugs

It seems jokesters have been around forever, and puzzle mugs and jugs are a collectible that still challenges drinkers and evoke laughs today. These containers have been around since the second century BC appearing first in Greece. They became popular in taverns in Europe in the medieval times and eventually showed up in America in the 1800s.

Most of the drinking vessels were made of pottery and there were several holes around the top under the rim of the mug so the drinker had to figure out which holes to cover in order to drink the beverage without spilling it. Of course as the night wore on and the drinker became more inebriated, they would struggle with the puzzle and end up soaked in suds!

The European models of puzzle mugs often had a saying on the cup urging the drinker to make wagers on their ability to consume the contents without spilling them. These drinking mugs were often elaborate with hidden tubes within the vessel so just the right combinations of hole coverings would work to enable the drinker to drink without spilling.

There were other variations on the puzzle mugs such as whistles on the handles, ceramic bugs or frogs in the bottom of the pottery that could startle the drinker when they got to the bottom of their drink or “fuddlemugs” that were a combination of small compartments within the mug that had to be consumed in the correct order or it would spill. Some of the whistle cups were designed to warble like a bird when filled and when you were finished with the drink you could “whistle” for more. Kiddie versions of cups with a little figure in the bottom such as an animal, elf, or some other figurine were called nightingales. These mugs were made for drinking milk or tea.

The modern day version of puzzle mugs are the dribble cups. If you don’t drink out of the rim in the correct place, the drink will spill on you. Historians are not sure why tavern patrons enjoyed seeing people struggle with their drinks and go home in beer drenched clothing, but I suppose they had to entertain themselves somehow.

There are lots of examples of these containers both old and more modern on eBay but they are often hard to find in antique shop and malls. These pieces often didn’t survive being broken, especially by frustrated bar patrons.

Happy Collecting!

Jillinda Falen has been buying and selling antiques for over 31 years and is a licensed REALTOR and estate liquidation specialist. You can contact her through the Houston Home Journal or via email at jcfalen@gmail.com.

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