Ginger Ale Bottles wanted

[Ginger Ale collector]

Looks like the picture of the Ebberwein's didn't post correctly- I'll try again.

 

[Dragon0421]

That is one nice line up. Guess there will be more to look for thanks for the pic of them had no idea they were that many diffrent ones.

 

[capgama]

Here are 2 bottles from 1991,,never opened

 

[Ginger Ale collector]

Hi Capgama,

I haven't seen those before- very nice. My ginger ale collection doesn't go much past the mid-1960s, but it starts in the late 1860's. Vernor's claims to be one of the first makers of ginger ale in the US, which is possible, but there's not a lot of proof that another bottler might have been before them. Gray's in Wisconsin claims to have started bottling soda in 1856, but a ginger ale bottle from that period hasn't popped up yet. What is interesting about Vernor's is that until about 1900, almost all of Vernor's ginger ale was sold as a soda fountain drink, and not by the bottle. James Vernor believed ginger was best served freshly made, poured out from a pitcher. It was only until competition forced them into starting bottling. So even though they were making ginger ale in the late 1800's, I have not seen a bottle that wasn't a crown top style. Here's the earliest Vernor's I've seen, dated 1906. The bottle was blown into a mold, but the crown top was added by hand. Very soon after that, most bottles were made by machine and the days of handmade bottles was over in the U.S. The embossing says "Only genuine when the crown cork has the above design in red." So, your 1991 Vernor's bottles have a lot of history behind them! Ever tasted Vernor's (don't recommend your 1991 vintage)? It is still available- it tastes more like a cream soda to me, and many of the Vernor's bottles in the 1960s actually said "ginger soda" rather than ginger ale.

Ken (GAC as many call me in this forum).

 

[hemihampton]

Never seen a Vernors like that. Mine has the 1906 Pure Food act along back side. LEON.

 

[LC]

Here is a few Ginger-Ales I have in case you would like to see them . The first one is embossed GENUINE BELFAST - GINGER ALE -G. D. DOWS & CO. - BOSTON .

The second one is embossed GRATTAN & CO - BELFAST IRELAND - ESTd 1825 - ORIGINAL MAKERS OF GINGER ALE

The third one is embossed FELIX FRITZ - COVINGTON , KY. - GINGER ALE - THIS BOTTLE IS NEVER SOLD
I think I also have out in the building out back a paper label ginger ale crown top from Cincinnati . Sorry the picture is not better . I try and I try and I can never seem to get a good picture of a bottle in this house .

 

[Ginger Ale collector]

Hi Leon- and I've never seen a Vernor's with the Food & Drug Act embossed vertically like that! Wow! While I collect ginger ale bottles, I'm not an expert on all the Vernor's bottles that are out there. There is one that I would like to find- it is a Vernor's extract bottle that looks like an old medicine bottle, about quart size. It is embossed with the name and ginger ale on it and I believe was sold to soda fountains. Anyway, here's a Vernor's paper label that's not too common. You see the bottle a lot without the label. Thanks for posting yours.

 

[Ginger Ale collector]

Hi LC- thanks for posting those pictures. The Fritz one from Kentucky is great! Don't have that one in my collection! The Dows can be found fairly often and the Grattan is common. (Grattan claimed to be the "Original Makers of Ginger Ale", but I've not found any proof of it.)

Not sure why you are having troubles with taking pictures. It might be that you are too close with the camera. Some cameras can only get about 3 feet away, any closer and everything is out of focus. The other thought may be that if you are taking the pictures without a flash in low light- some cameras have to be absolutely still, otherwise the picture is blurry.

I know you are from Ohio, but your Fritz bottle made me think of Kentucky. So here are some Kentucky bottles, all from Louisville. The Ortels is probably from prohibition days as they were brewers.

 

[LC]

Thanks for posting them up , I have a load of crown top acls and embossed ones in the building that I bought quite a few years back , they are just sitting in the building in milk crates . It was a really pretty day here today . I had planned on getting hold of the ginger ale paper label which I am thinking is on a shelf in the building and taking a picture of it today , and it completely slipped my mind . If I can remember it tomorrow , I will try and get a picture of it up .

As for the Fritz ginger ale , you are correct , it is from Covington , Kentucky . Dug it on the river bank on the Ohio side right across from Covington . The blasted baseball stadium is now part of that spot regretfully . The Gratts is common as you state but I have always felt it is one of the nicest embossed sodas out there . I have also seen several of the Dow's bottles over the years as well .

You are right about the picture problem . My problem is definitely not enough light in this house to take a good picture . I usually try to take most of my pics outside through the day light hours when I can .

 

[Ginger Ale collector]

Hello epackage- nothing from Patterson, NJ. Have some from Elizabeth and Jersey City- will post when I get a chance. However, I do have the label for the six ounce Singer's you posted. Being curious as I am, I decided to look at a map of Patterson to see what the Pollock R.R. (assume railroad) was all about. There's not a scrap of information about it and none of the maps of Patterson show a Pollock R.R.! Do you know anything about it? It reminds me that printers and bottlers were often sly and full of tricks when it came to what they put on paper labels. What's also interesting is that a competitor not far from Patterson had their labels printed in the same colors. Wonder who came first!