Sparkling Pepsol - embossed

[M.C.Glass]

I came across this nice 6oz. Pepsol bottle today and bought it. I thought it was a company Pepsi may have sued out of existence, but doing some research, it looks like it is/was a Pepsico company.Other threads in the forum all show ACL bottles from Nashville, but this one is a "pinch" style embossed bottle, 1927? and is out of Detroit, MI. Around the heel it says Pat. applied for.The drink was made with pepsin, and was a red drink that tasted something like cinnamon. The bottle says "Aids digestion" on one side and the other says "Oh Gosh it's gud". I have to believe Coca Cola looked at this too, because they borrowed the "fishtail" lettering.Just wanted to share, but if anybody knows anything else about it, I'd like to hear.

 

[iggyworf]

That is a very cool bottle! I would love to have that one for my locals collection & Pepsi collection. Thanx for sharing.

 

[jblaylock]

Very cool. I had never heard of that brand. Great find, you're now the envy of many pepsi collectors

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

I've seen references for Pepsol as early as 1894, which is four years earlier than Pepsi Cola which came out in 1898. Based on what I've seen, it appears that Pepsi Cola was a copycat of Pepsol. I'm not sure when the attached ad was published, but it appears to be from the 1920s. It suggest there was a paper label bottle prior to the deco style bottle being discussed here. The ad is currently on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $25.00 ... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-Sparkling-PEPSOL-Soda-Advertisement-First-for-Thirst-Nashville-TN-/111565985541?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19f9d9d705

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Here's where I got the 1894 date ...
http://www.bottlebooks.com/carbonated%20beverages/carbonated_beverage_trademarks%201890-1919.htm

Word Mark: PEPSOL
NON-ALCOHOLIC CARBONATED BEVERAGE.
FIRST USE: 1894. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 1894
Filing Date January 25, 1907
Published for Opposition March 12, 1907
Registration Date May 7, 1907
Owner (REGISTRANT) PEPSOL CHEMICAL COMPANY CORPORATION TENNESSEE
NO. 606 BROADWAY NASHVILLE TENNESSEE
(LAST LISTED OWNER) PepsiCO, INC.
CORPORATION BY MERGER WITH AND CHANGE OF NAME FROM NORTH CAROLINA700 ANDERSON HILL RD.
PURCHASE NEW YORK 10577

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Here's the Pepsi Cola information from the same website ... Word Mark: PEPSI-COLA TONIC BEVERAGE.FIRST USE: 1896. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 1896 Filing Date April 15, 1905 Registration Date August 7, 1906Owner (REGISTRANT) BRADHAM, CALEB D. INDIVIDUAL UNITED STATES NEWBERN NORTH CAROLINA(LAST LISTED OWNER) PEPSICO, INC. CORPORATION BY CHANGE OF NAME FROM DELAWARE700 ANDERSON HILL ROADPURCHASE NEW YORK 10577

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Ad from ... The Paducah Evening Sun ~ Paducah, Kentucky ~ May 13, 1903 (But I don't know if it was being bottled at this time or just sold in soda fountains)

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

P.S. I haven't seen anything yet that connects Pepsol with Detroit, Michigan

 

[M.C.Glass]

Thanks Bob, I was hoping you would shake your resource tree for some info.I checked the Detroit city directory for '28/'29 and found 2 references. 1 was Edmond Parmentier, listed as bottler, Pepsol Co. The other was Max Greenman, also with Pepsol.Wasn't able to find either man in the free 1940 census records. (I mi$$ my Ancestry $ubscription)That's all I have -

 

[Idoodit2]

Pepsi did not sue them out of existence. That was a Coke tactic. Pepsol was trademarked by Robert Lee Eves of Nashville on 5/20/1895 and registered on 2/22/1898. It bottled locally until into the 1950's. In the late 1950's Pepsi make a stock purchase of the small company to protect the Pep name, and retired the company. However, in about 1978 the Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Co. (Pepsi in-house bottler) produced a fantasy crown for Pepsol which can be found occasionally on Ebay.