BOB'S BOTTLE HUNTING SEASON / FINDS

[SODAPOPBOB]

This is the antique store / museum where I purchased the Harold's bottle. The (not so) wild burros are everywhere and love having their pictures taken.

 

[JOETHECROW]

Bob...cool update. Can you taste the carmel in the rootbeer? Love the Burros...

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Joe ~

Thanks for stopping by. Yes, you can definitely taste the carmel. But it's balanced just right. Plus it's creamy, meaning there is very little foam. Part of most root beer taste test involves the after-taste. And according to my brother (who also said it was the best root beer he ever had) said he could still taste it an hour later. I think he was exaggerating, but the taste definitely lingers on the pallet.

The people who make it don't distribute it or sell it in the local markets. The only place it can be purchased is at Mr. D'z Diner on Andy Devine Blvd (Route 66) in Kingman. It cost $12.00 per six-pack and comes in the plain cardboard carrier as shown below. The paper labels appear to be applied by hand.

SPBOB

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

And since you Get a kick out of Route 66 and like the burros, here's another shot of them walking down main street in Oatman.

By the way, while in Las Vegas we also went to the "Pawn Stars" store that is on the History Channel. No photos are allowed of the inside, but it was fun seeing it. None of the so called stars were there at the time, but there were at least fifteen employees running around handling the hundreds of tourist that file through the store every day.

SPBOB

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Here's a few more souvenirs from my trip. The postcard and mug are from the "Pawn Stars" store and show that guy Rick. The bottles are from the antique store in Oatman. It's too bad the acl labels are messed up, but I just had to have them anyway. Plus these two were cheap at only $4.00 each.

1st .... Life ... 1938 ... Los Angeles, Ca.

2nd ... Melo-Paya ... 1939 ... Los Angeles, Ca.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

On the back of the "Life" bottle it says ...

~ A Super-Charged Lithiated Alkalizing Beverage ~

For some time now I have been curious as to exactly what "Lithiated" means. Many of the early beverages used this term, including both 7up and even Coca Cola. But until doing a little research I wasn't entirely sure what it meant. The copy/pasted text below helped clarify some of my questions, but the bottom line appears to be that Lithium Citrate is an odorless white powder (mineral) and was discovered decades ago. Although it is not fully documented as to who used it first, 7up appears to be one of the earliest. Others soon followed suit with the claim that lithiated beverages helped to cure a number of ailiments, the most popular of which was the elimination of headaches and hangovers. However, when it was discovered to have harmful side effects, it was discontinued around 1948.

For those interested in such things, the following text has a side-link with more specific details on the composition and uses of Mood Stabiliser Lithium Citrate. And from what I know about it now, I'm glad it was discontinued. There is also an interesting article on Wikipedia that can be found under the title of "Lithium Pharmacology." Weird stuff!

SPBOB

{Text}

Use in 7up
[/align]As with cocaine in Coca-Cola, lithium was widely marketed as one of a number of patent medicine products popular in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, and was the medicinal ingredient of a refreshment beverage, 7 Up. Charles Leiper Grigg, who launched his St. Louis-based company The Howdy Corporation in 1920, invented a formula for a lemon-lime soft drink in 1929. The product, originally named "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda", was launched two weeks before the Wall Street Crash of 1929.[12] It contained the mood stabiliser lithium citrate and was one of a number of patent medicine products popular in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. The beverage was marketed specifically as a hangover cure. Its name was soon changed to 7 Up.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

I've had a pretty active week. Today I had the honor and pleasure of visiting the home of one of San Diego's elete bottle collectors. Which is something I have been looking forward to for months. I met Mike Bryant last spring at the San Diego bottle show where I purchased a couple of neat bottles from him. But today's visit to his in-home museum was the creme of the crop. Mike has more local bottles than you can shake a stick at. He has hundreds of them all nicely displayed in lighted cabinets and include everything from acl sodas to old-old- whiskey's and beers from as early as the Civil War era. He also has old signs - paper collectibles, and anything and everything you can imagine that is bottle related. A while back Mike and his collection were featured on one of our PBS TV channel historical programs.

Below is a just a sampling of his massive collection, and highlight what I call "The Fabulous Five." All five are San Diego acl sodas, and are considered rare to extremely rare. Needless to say, I was drooling the entire time I was there.

Left to right ... Gazosa - 30 Below - Country Boy - Don Diego - 7up (amber)

 

[acls]

Sounds fun Bob. That 30 Below sign is great.

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

But the real high-point of my visit was when Mike surprised me by giving me his back-up "Gazosa" bottle. The likelyhood of my ever finding another one is slim to none. It is one of the extremely hard to find bottles in any condition, and I gasped with excitement when he handed it to me. Mike is not only my new best friend, but he is also a very generous guy, not to mention the president of the San Diego Antique Bottles and Collectibles Club. Which I plan to join at the next possible opportunity.

The Gazosa acl below is from the mid 1930s and features the Point Loma light house which is a well known historic landmark here in San Diego. It isn't in the greatest shape, but is a perfect example of when rarity outweighs condition. Plus it was a gift. And that's the best part of all. Thanks, Mike. []

SPBOB

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

acls ~

Thanks for stopping by. The 30-Below is the rarest of the lot, with only a handfull of examples known to exist. Mike even has one of the caps. I am green with envy! [:'(]

SPBOB