Rookwood Pottery to create steins for Oktoberfest Zinzinnati
Rookwood Pottery and Oktoberfest have announced that the pottery brand will be creating the steins for the annual Zinzinnati festival this year. The collaboration marks the joining of two iconic Cincinnati brands, and the first run of steins has already been met with high demand.
George Hibben, Rookwood’s historian and brand ambassador, gives an inside look at the process of making the steins.
“The design process is very collaborative,” he says. “We start with buzzwords that help us create a design. Dachshunds, pretzels, hops and barley all make perfect sense, but the Big Mac Bridge was suggested due to the move to Sawyer Point. With the bridge as a backdrop to the greenspace and a festival tent to seat close to 1,000 people, Oktoberfest will have a more authentic feel.”
Once the design was finalized, the carving and mold making was completed by Rookwood Pottery master sculptor Gary Simon.
Glaze creation and selection were also part of the design process. The exterior glaze, specially formulated by the glaze chemists at Rookwood, is called MaltZin. Based on the late 1800s Rookwood glazes and the rich color of roasted barley malt, MaltZin accentuates the carved design and brings out the details.
Chelsea York, vice president of events and experiences at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, came up with the idea of Rookwood making steins for Oktoberfest after meeting an employee of the pottery company during Taste of Cincinnati in 2023.
“Our conversations spurred the ideas,” she says.
The project officially kicked off in December 2023, and York shares the significance of the joint effort. “Combining Rookwood and Oktoberfest Zinzinnati showcases Cincinnati’s rich cultural tapestry, blending Rookwood’s artistic heritage with Oktoberfest’s celebration of the city’s German roots,” she says.
The design of the stein lends to this tapestry. “The Patriot Blue interior represents the Ohio River and the Miami-Erie Canal that were so vital to the transport of raw ingredients to the breweries and the beer barrels back out to national markets,” Hibben says. “The blue is a nod to our pronounced brewing history and the importance of local waterways.
Hibben, who is an avid stein collector, notes the difference between classic steins and these new Zinzinnati steins. “This is functional art, meant to be used and enjoyed,” he says. “Maybe only used once, then put up on a collector’s shelf. But as a Rookwood stein, it will become part of Zinzinnati history. And, just like the steins in Munich, these pieces will likely be celebrated and cherished 100 years from now.”
York feels similar to Hibben. “We know these steins are important to Oktoberfest Zinzinnati attendees,” she says. “We’ve heard from people who have collected them every single year, which is over 46 steins! And people who gift them to their families each year at Christmas. Success looks like delivering a beautiful, quality product that can be proudly displayed, gifted or passed down generations.”
