More than half a century after her crime, a 73-year-old US woman has returned a beer mug she stole from one of Germany's most famous breweries.

The beer stein, a traditional stone mug which holds one litre, arrived in a surprise package at Munich's popular Hofbraeuhaus last week, spokesperson Tobias Ranzinger said on Monday.

"She sent off the mug on December 27, and we received it last Thursday, intact and with a nice note attached." In the card, which was signed Celeste, the sender expressed her regrets for having taken the mug during her teens.

"I took the beer stein from your establishment the summer of 1965, when I was young, reckless and inconsiderate," the now senior citizen from the US state of Maryland explains in the English note. "I am sorry I did not get it back to you sooner."

Celeste didn't explain what motivated her to return the mug after so many years.

"But we are happy to know that people still feel a connection to our pub after such a long period of time," Ranziger said. The returned mug is of a type that isn't used at Hofbraeuhaus anymore - the pub switched to glass mugs in 1972.

The pub now plans to send her tokens which can be exchanged for free beer at Hofbraeuhaus the next time Celeste visits.