Country Club Beverages - Mimico/Toronto Ontario soda bottle

[RCO]

another bottle that I had been trying to find or learn more about was a clear art deco style bottle in the same style as others I already have . but I haven't managed to come across one yet and don't even have a good picture of one.

its from a bottler called " Country Club Beverages " located in Mimico / Toronto . the term Mimico isn't used much would more commonly be referred to as " Etobicoke " , mimico is an area in south etobicoke near lake Ontario in the city of Toronto .

this bottle isn't featured in many bottle books but is a listing in Dean Axelson's soda bottle book however it features several major errors , says its marked as being from 1921 and that it operated in the 1920's which is also not accurate

the bottle is actually marked 1931 as all in that style are marked 1931 . its also listed in another book as operating from 1934-44 , so its 30's > 40's era .

embossing on bottle reads " Country Club Beverages - Mimico - Toronto , contents 7 fl ozs "

 

[RCO]

there is however a second country club bottle in similar style from Ontario . this one is from Sudbury Ontario . I found this one on ebay in 2012 and never seen another one since .

it features very similar but not identical embossing , reads

" Country Club Sudbury Ont " contents 7 fl os

listed as operating from 1938 - 1941 in Sudbury Ontario , so around the same time as Mimico bottle was from . so would appear to be a connection

haven't ever managed to find much other info on the Sudbury bottle and no access to old Sudbury newspapers which may have something

 

[Donas12]

It’s quite interesting to find different bottlers who utilized this design. Seems to be quite a few. It’s a deco design that is quite nice. Have you ever seen one in green?

 

[RCO]

It’s quite interesting to find different bottlers who utilized this design. Seems to be quite a few. It’s a deco design that is quite nice. Have you ever seen one in green?

this design was used a lot more and in more places/regions than people realise , some of the bottles just don't show up much

no I've never seen this bottle in green , I'd say one likely doesn't exist but its still possible but less likely if no one has seen one by now

for these 2 country club bottlers , only seen 1 bottle design for each , so I don't know if they ever had any other bottles or just used this 1 as they both operated for short periods , although etobicoke one operated for 10 years , so its possible they had other bottles and did ginger ale .

my book also says they went by name " country club dry co " so highly likely they did bottle ginger ale too

 

[Donas12]

I made a note of a listing I saw once of an acl that was called Country Club. It was a 10oz dated 1953 on the bottom and was bottled being from Timmins/Sarnia. Don’t have a picture of it though...

 

[mctaggart67]

Gene Merikallio was behind Country Club, of Sarnia and Timmins. He owned Coke franchises in both cities, with Country Club being a side project of his. Coke HQ was not too happy to have a franchisee competing against the Coke brand with his own brand, so he was given a choice. This explains why I found dozens and dozens Country Club bottles -- all intentionally broken -- amid a pile of muck that had been dredged from Sarnia Bay. Gene told me that he had no choice but to break the crown tops off all those bottles. Whole ones marked Timmins and Sarnia are difficult to find. Gene passed recently:

fiche

MERIKALLIO Eugene-Gene 1920-2000 The family announces with great sorrow his death at the Timmins and District Hospital on Thursday, June 15, 2000, at the age of 79 years. He leaves behind his wife Hazel (nee Lacombe), son Ross Merikallio (Verlene Robertson) of Scarborough. He is predeceased by hi...

federationgenealogie.qc.ca

 

[RCO]

I made a note of a listing I saw once of an acl that was called Country Club. It was a 10oz dated 1953 on the bottom and was bottled being from Timmins/Sarnia. Don’t have a picture of it though...

I don't have that bottle but seen them online before , I have a picture of a clear and green version with a red and white label .

pretty sure its not related to the Sudbury or Toronto bottle as it started much later and in different places , just has a similar name

 

[RCO]

I'm hopeful we can eventually come across at least a picture of the Toronto country club bottle , if I get really luck maybe i'll finally come across the bottle itself .

usually I at least have a picture of the bottle but for some reason this one has proven to be more elusive

 

[RCO]

also came across a listing in a 70's era bottle book for country club beverages

said there was a clear , 7 and 3/4 tall bottle embossed " Country Club Beverages / Mimico / Toronto

for value listed at between $ 4 - $ 8 , so either they didn't think it was that rare or embossed bottles from that era weren't going for much $ back then