In the earliest days, the prototype of the coaster was a piece of cloth or paper covering the cup. Its function was to prevent small bugs or other foreign objects from falling into the wine. Later, people found that the coaster pad has a greater role at the bottom of the cup, it can be water-proof, anti-slip, anti-scalding, etc., and then slowly there is a bar pad made of cardboard. Because paper bar mats are easy to break when wet, and later there are rubber, PVC and other bar mats that can be wet and easy to clean.
The functions of the bar mat are as follows:
Waterproofing: In the earliest days, the bar and tabletop of the bar were made of wood, and the spilled liquor would seep into the wood, which would dampen the wood, causing cracking, mold, and rot. With a bar mat, it can block water and prevent the wooden table from getting wet.
Convenient to clean the bar:
If the bar and table top that have been dipped in wine for a long time are not cleaned, the surface will be sticky, which will affect the overall feeling of the bar. With the bar mat, it is easy to clean, making the bar and desktop cleaner and more refreshing.
Anti-slip:
As people paint wooden utensils, and then gradually there are bar counters and bar tables made of various metals, plastics, marble and other materials, these smooth bar counters and table surfaces are easy to make the cups placed on them slide when exposed to water. , After the bar mat is placed, the cup can be placed on the table well, and there is no need to worry about it sliding, falling, and breaking.
In the early days, the bar mat was also used to keep accounts, and there was a habit of drinking first and then paying the bill when drinking in a bar. In order to facilitate memory, the barman will mark on the bar mat after serving the wine, usually a vertical line is drawn on a cup, and a horizontal line is added after the four vertical lines, just like we write the word “positive” in China to count. If there are other drinks, they will be marked with an abbreviation before the mark. In addition, there is another way of accounting, a glass of wine is given to a coaster, and the number of coasters will be settled at the final checkout.
Social contact.
A bar is a mixed place, and the effect of alcohol can easily make people let go of their guards, so some bar pads have been developed with social functions. For example, you can print playable game cases on the bar mat, play some small games, write down the contact information of “new friends” on the bar mat, etc.
In addition, the soft bar mat also has small functions such as shock absorption and temperature insulation, which can prevent the collision of the cups and the hot cups from burning the bar or tabletop.
Of course, now many restaurants, bars, cafes, and homes will use bar mats. Bar mats have also become part of the bar culture. There are also many wine brands that also make a lot of bar mats for brand promotion and promotion.