How does one distinguish between a beer and a soda blob bottle?

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MABottleHunter

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Greetings,

Long time browser, seldom poster here.

Just starting to get back into bottle collecting /digging etc and decided that I'd like to focus on finding and trading for local blob sodas, I'm curious if theres a way to distinguish between blob top sodas and beers without relying on there to be some reference to brewing/ale/lager/beer etc.

Thanks

David
 

CanadianBottles

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There isn't a surefire way, really. Your best bet is to research the company and find out what it was that they sold. If they sold both then it was likely used for both. Also if it's brown it was probably a beer bottle. But not definitely.
 

hemihampton

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One way is to just collect Hutch bottles if you only want to collect Soda. Some will call a Hutch a blob. Some Hutches will say Brewing co on them but Ron Fowler the Hutch Specialist assures me these never contained beer but soda. LEON.
 

andy volkerts

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As Hemi said, just collect the blob top bottles that say soda or mineral water on them, wether they be Hutches or squats or blob tops. generally speaking if it is amber than it is a beer, but there is at least one westcoast soda that comes in amber, so I suspect there is others also, but in all cases if it says soda water or mineral water on the bottle you are good.....Andy
 

SODAPOPBOB

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MA

I noticed you said ...

"I'd like to focus on finding and trading for local blob sodas"

I'm assuming the MA stands for "Maine"

If correct, you might like to acquire one of these books ...

http://www.hutchbook.com/Collecting Bottle Books ME/Default.htm

Because it includes soda bottles as early as the 1840s, it should provide you with some help.

Note: If you're not from Maine, this message will self destruct in 30 seconds! :boom:

Maine Soda Bottles Book.jpg
 

hemihampton

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As Hemi said, just collect the blob top bottles that say soda or mineral water on them, wether they be Hutches or squats or blob tops. generally speaking if it is amber than it is a beer, but there is at least one westcoast soda that comes in amber, so I suspect there is others also, but in all cases if it says soda water or mineral water on the bottle you are good.....Andy


I've seen some soda Hutches come in Amber. Tough to find those in Amber. LEON.
 

MABottleHunter

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Thanks, however its Massachusetts :D

I chuckled though! Maine is abbreviated by Me ( I think)


Thank you everyone for your helpful information!

David
 

ScottBSA

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In general, if it has a Loop Seal closure, it held beer. Aqua and squat, soda. Amber and squat, beer. Beer was not generally bottled until about 1880 with some exceptions. So if it has an applied lip it is probably soda. Part of the joy of this hobby is researching the companies. I would say the Hutch rule holds true for 99.9% There is a Lion Brewing Co Hutch bottle from Kansas City. As far as I have been able to research in KC, they only bottled beer. If you are beer adverse, stick with small and aqua.
scott
 

SODAPOPBOB

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I believe most of the early Moxie bottles are from Boston, Massachusetts. It would probably take a lifetime to collect as many as this guy did. They're definitely soda bottles and many of them are blob tops / Hutchinsons ...

Moxie Bottles Hutch and Crowns.jpg
 

SODAPOPBOB

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Speaking of Moxie ...


I'm not sure if this Moxie / Ted Williams bottle is genuine, but it appears to be. Nor am I certain if its from Massachusetts, but it might be. I don't collect Moxie bottles nor am I a Massachusetts collector, but I'm thinking about bidding on this bottle anyway. If its the bottle I'm thinking of, its extremely rare and worth its weight in gold! Check it out - only 19 hours left to bid ...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1950s-MOXIE...887504?hash=item1a13b6a890:g:I6kAAOSw~oFXJknn

Moxie Ted Williams.jpg
 
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