Masskrugstemmen, or beer Steinholding, is a relatively new sport in America, but it's popularity has been growing quickly. Here's everything you need to know about the world's greatest Fest-Sport.
Q: What is Steinholding / Masskrugstemmen / stein hoisting?A: Steinholding is a traditional Bavarian strength contest in which competitors hold a full one-liter beer stein (or Masskrug/Mass in German) out in front of their bodies with a straight arm, parallel to the ground. You go as long as you can and the last person holding with good form is the winner. For more details on the rules, see our Official Steinholding Rules page.
Q: How do you pronounce "Masskrugstemmen"?A: MAHSS-kroog-stem-men, approximately. Or you can save your strength for the competition and just call it Steinholding.
Q: How much does the stein weigh?A: A full one-liter dimpled glass stein should weigh approximately 5 pounds or 2.25 kg, whichever you prefer. The stein itself alone should weigh right around 3 pounds and, filled to the 1L line, the beer weighs about 34 ounces.
Q: How do you train for a competition?A: Everyone is different, and being in good athletic condition helps, but the short answer is "you basically just practice holding a stein a lot." If you're serious about competing, see our Steinholding Training section with training tips from Steinholding champions.
Q: How long should a normal person expect to last in their first competition?A: Without training, a typical guy can usually last somewhere in the 3-5 minute range, with ladies lasting between 1-3 minutes. If you can go longer than that, following all of the official competition rules, you should definitely find out where to compete in Steinholding/Masskrugstemmen so you can take a shot at qualifying for a higher level of competition.
Q: This sounds perfect for me: the patrons at my bar, restaurant, brewery, festival, club, gym, etc., like beer AND they like sports. How can I get my venue involved as a U.S. Steinholding Association sanctioned location?A: Check out our State Championship and Venue Membership Program pages to see how you can get in on this action and learn about the benefits of partnering with U.S. Steinholding. Or if you want to give it a shot hosting an independent competition on your own, let us know and we'll add you to our Competition Location Map so our fellow Steinholding enthusiasts can find your event.
Q: What is the world record for Steinholding?A: There isn't currently a world-level competition, so until we find someone somewhere else in the world to challenge our U.S. competitors, we consider the U.S. National Record to be the World Record. The U.S. Men's National Record is currently 21 minutes, 17 seconds, set by Michael Tyler at the 2018 Lenny Coyne Memorial Hofbräu Masskrugstemmen Championships at the Steuben Day Parade and New York City Oktoberfest. The U.S. Women's National Record is currently 6 minutes, 10 seconds, set by Taylor Handy at the 2022 Lenny Coyne Memorial Hofbräu Masskrugstemmen Championships at the Steuben Day Parade and New York City Oktoberfest. If you want to watch some competition footage and see the list of competitors, check out our Steinholding Competition Results page.
Q: I am the kind of maniac that wants to experience the thrill of holding a beer stein further from my mouth and for a longer amount of time than nature ever intended. How do I find a competition?A: You are a special breed, my friend- welcome to the party. There are lots competitions across the country, so check out our map for where to compete in Steinholding. You can learn about the different types of competitions here as well. If you know of a restaurant, festival, or other venue that holds competitions, tell them to get in touch with us so we can add them to the map!
