Beer Bottles

Attempting to find an American beer bottle made before the mid-19th century is a difficult task. Until then, most bottles used for beer and spirits were imported. The majority of these imported bottles were black glass pontiled bottles made in three-piece molds and rarely embossed. There are four types of early beer bottles:

1. The porter, which is the most common: 1820 to 1920

2. The ale: 1845 to 1850

3. Early lager: 1847 to 1850 - Rare

4. Late lager: 1850 to 1860

In spite of the large amounts of beer consumed in America before 1860, beer bottles were very rare and all have pontiled bases. Most beer manufactured during this time was distributed and dispensed from wooden barrels, or kegs, and sold to local taverns and private bottlers. Collectors often ask why various breweries did not bottle the beer they manufactured. During the Civil War, the federal government placed a special tax on all brewed beverages that was levied by the barrel. This taxing system prevented the brewery from making the beer and bottling it in the same building. Selling the beer to taverns and private bottlers was much simpler than erecting another building just for bottling. This entire process changed after 1890 when the federal government revised the law to allow breweries to bottle the beer straight from the beer lines.

Along with the brewing processes, the federal government also revised guidelines for bottle cleanliness. The chart below show the age and rarity of beer bottles.

Embossed bottles marked “ale” or “porter” were manufactured between 1850 and 1860. In the late 1860s, the breweries began to emboss their bottles with names and promotional messages. This practice continued into the 20th century. It is interesting to note that Pennsylvania breweries made most of the beer bottles from the second half of the 19th century. By 1890, beer was readily available in bottles in most of the country.

The first bottles used for beer in the United States were made of pottery, not glass. Glass did not become widely used until after the Civil War (1865). A wholesaler for Adolphus Busch named C. Conrad sold the original Budweiser beer from 1877 to 1890. The Budweiser name was a trademark of C. Conrad, but in 1891, it was sold to the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association.

Before the 1870s, beer bottles were sealed with cork stoppers. Late in the 19th century, the lightning stopper was invented. It proved a convenient way of sealing and resealing blob top bottles. In 1891 corks were replaced with the crown cork closure invented by William Painter. The closure made use of a thin slice of cork within a tight-fitting metal cap. Once these were removed, they couldn’t be used again.

Until the 1930s, beer came in green glass bottles. After Prohibition, brown glass came into use, since it was thought to filter out the damaging rays of the sun and preserve freshness.

Albion – Burnell & Co. – S.F. – Brewery

Medium green, half-pint, smooth base, crown top, American 1920-1930 .$550-650

A.G. Boehm / 78-82 Essex St. / Lawrence / Mass / Registered – This Bottle / Not To Be Sold

Orange amber, 9-3/8", smooth base, tooled blob mouth, American 1885-1900$70-100

A. G. Van Nostrano / Charlestown / Mass. / Bunker Hill Lager (inside banner) / Bunker Hill / Breweries / Established 1821 / Registered August Stoehr / Milwaukee / Lager / Manchester, N.H. – This Bottle / Not To / Be Sold

Medium amber, 9-5/8", smooth base, tooled mouth, original lightning-style closure, American 1885-1900$70-100

August Reinig / 2107 / Germantown / Ave / Philada. – This Bottle / Not To / Be Sold

Yellow with olive tone, 9-1/2", smooth base (1A), tooled blob mouth, American 1885-1900.$70-100

August Stoehr / Milwaukee / Lager / Manchester, N.H. – This Bottle / Not To / Be Sold

Medium yellow olive, 9", smooth base (No. 2), tooled mouth, original lightning closure, American1885-1900$70-90

B & CO / (monogram inside diamond) A. Bierweiler & CO / Boston / Mass. / Registered

Medium golden yellow amber, mug-base, 9-1/4", smooth base, tooled mouth, American 1885-1900$70-100

Bay View – Brewing Co – Seattle Wash.

Medium green, 9", quart, smooth base, tooled top, American 1890-1905.$175-225

Beer Steam Bottling Co. – (monogram WG & Son in diamond) – Wm Goeppert & Son – San Francisco

Medium amber, quart, smooth base, applied top, rare, American 1882-1884.$700-800

Buffalo Brewing Co. – (monogram BBC) – S.F. Agency

Medium green, pint, 7-1/2", smooth base, applied top, American 1885-1900.$250-300

Buffalo BR’G CO. – Sacramento – This Bottle Not To Be Sold

Medium amber, quart, smooth base, applied top, American 1885-1900$85-95

C. Conrad & Cos. – Original Budweiser U.S. – Patent No. 6376

Aqua, 9", quart, smooth base, applied top, American 1890-1905$100-150

C.D. Postel – (monogram wheat stalks T.M.) – S. F. Cal.

Deep amber, quart, smooth base, applied top, American 1884$500-600

C.D. Postel – (monogram wheat stalks T.M.) – S. F. Cal.

Medium amber, quart, smooth base, applied top, American 1884$2,500-3,000

C.D. Postel – (monogram wheat stalks T.M.) – S. F. Cal.

Dark amber, quart, smooth base, applied top, American 1884$1,300-1,500

Ogdens Porter, blue aqua, 7", American 1840-1860, $150-200.

J.B. Edwards – Columbia Pa. – Brown Stout, emerald green, 6-1/4", American 1840-1860, $375-475.

Chas D. Kaier / KDK (monogram) Mahanoy City / PA – This Bottle / Not To / Be Sold

Medium green, 9-3/8", smooth base (Putnam 26), applied blob type mouth, American 1880-1890$250-350

Chas Joly / No. 9 / So Seventh St / Philadelphia – This Bottle / Not To / Be Sold

Medium olive green, 9-1/2", smooth base, tooled mouth, American 1885-1900$70-100

Chicago Lager Beer – Chicago Brewing – S.F.

Medium amber, quart, smooth base, applied top, American 1887-1990$35-40

Colombia Weiss Beer Brewery – St. Louis Mo. – This Bottle Is Never Sold

Medium amber, 8-7/8", smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1900$50-75

Coors

Light amethyst, pint, smooth base, tooled top, American 1910-1920$75-110

Consumers – (monogram CBCo.) Bottle Co.

Deep amber, half-pint, smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1900$75-85

Consumer’s – (monogram CBCo.) Bottling Co. – S.F. CAL.

Medium amber, quart, smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1900 .$300-400

O.G. M. Gaines – Columbia Pa. – Brown Stout, blue green, 6 3/8", $350-450.

Dr. Cronk’s / Compound / Sarsaparilla Beer, blue aqua, 8-5/8", American 1840-1860, $400-600.

E. Wagner / Trade W (inside cross) Mark / Manchester / N.H. – The Property / Of / E. Wagner / Not Sold

Light to medium yellow with olive tone, 9-1/8", smooth base, tooled mouth, original lightning style closure, American 1885-1900 $80-120

E. Wagner / Trade W (inside cross) Mark / Manchester / N.H. – The Property / Of / E. Wagner / Not Sold

Light to medium yellow with olive tone, 9-3/8", smooth base, tooled mouth, original lightning style closure, American 1885-1900 $80-120

F.J. Kastner / FJK (diamond monogram inside) Newark N.J. – This Bottle / Not To / Be Sold

Medium golden yellow with amber tone, 9-3/8", applied mouth, American 1885-1900$80-120

F. Jacob Jockers / 803-805 / Dickinson St / Phila, PA. / Registered – Contents 12-1/2 Oz

Light to medium cobalt blue, 9", smooth base, tooled mouth, few tall blob beers were made in cobalt blue, American 1885-1900$100-150

F.O. Brandt – Healdsburg CAL.

Medium amber, quart, smooth base, tooled top, scarce, American 1885-1900$100-125

Geo. Braun Bottler – (monogram GB) – 2210 Pine St. S.F.

Dark amber, half-pint, smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1900$75-85

Golden Gate Bottling Works – Chas. Roschmann – San Francisco (reverse side – Trade – photo of bear – Mark

Medium amber, half-pint, smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1900$150-200

H. Clausen & Son / Brewing Co / 888-890 – 2nd Ave / New York / Phoenix Bottling – This Bottle / Not To / Be Sold

Medium olive green, 9-1/8", smooth base, tooled mouth, American 1885-1900$80-120

H. Koehler & Co / Fidelio / Beer / New York

Deep amber, 8-5/8", smooth base, tooled mouth, American 1885-1900 $70-100

Hoosac Bottling Works / JLG (monogram) Hoosick Falls. N.Y. – This Bottle / Not To / Be Sold

Medium amber, 9-1/8", smooth base, tooled mouth, American 1885-1900 $80-120

Honolulu Brewing Co. – Honolulu – H.T.

Light green, quart, smooth base, tooled top, American 1890-1905$75-85

J.B. Cueno – San Francisco

Medium amber, pint, smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1900$150-200

J. Gahn / Trade (motif of mug) Mark / Boston / Mass – Milwaukee / Lager Beer

Medium yellow amber, 9-3/8", smooth base, tooled mouth, American 1885-1900 $50-70

J. Proll Bottling Works – Bottling – U.S. Lager – S.F. CAL

Medium amber, pint, smooth base, tooled mouth, rare, American 1885-1905 $375-425

John Wieland’s – Export Beer – SF

Medium amber, 5-3/4" (sample size), smooth base, tooled top, American 1895-1905$250-325

John Wieland’s – Export Beer – S.F.

Deep amber, pint, smooth base, tooled top, American 1895-1905$100-125

Lynch Bros / Plymouth, PA – This Bottle / Not To / Be Sold

Medium citron green, 9-1/4", smooth base, tooled mouth, original lightning-style closure, rare colored blob top beer, American 1885-1900$80-120

Mirasoul – Bros – S.F.

Medium amber, pint, smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1905$35-45

National Bottling Works (Trade Mark – eagle) San Francisco, CA – Not To Be Sold

Amber, 9", smooth base, tooled mouth, American 1895-1901$175-250

National Brewing Co. – San Francisco

Medium amber, quart, smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1900$45-55

Pacifi c Bottling Co. (monogram J ) – S.F.

Light amber, quart, smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1900 rare$135-145

Philadelphia Bottling Co. – (monogram eagle In nest) – Lager Beer – Lang Bros’ Props’ – 1318 S. F. Scott St.

Medium amber, quart, smooth base, applied top, American 1886-1889$1,000-1,200

E.A. Olendorf / Sarsaparilla Lager (in slug plate) This Bottle / Is Never Sold, medium orange amber, 9-1/4", American 1885-1895, $250-300.

E.N. Lewis / Sarsaparilla / Beer, deep blue aqua, 6-3/4", American 1865-1880, $200-300.

Phillips Bros. / Champion / Bottling Works / Trade (motif of two boxers) Mark / Registered / Baltimore MD. U.S.A. / This Bottle Is Registered / Not To / Be Sold

Amber, 9-1/8", smooth base, tooled mouth, American 1885-1900.$70-100

Registered / The W.H. Cawley Co. / Somerville / Dover / Flemington / NJ / This Bottle / Not To Be Sold

Light green, 9", smooth base (C), tooled mouth, lightning-style closure, American 1885-1800.$70-100

Registered / Wagner and Matthes / Lawrence, Mass. / Registered

Deep amber, 9-1/4", smooth base, tooled mouth, American 1885-1900.$70-100

Richmond – Bottling Works

Light amber, half-pint, smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1900$75-85

Richmond – Bottling Works

Clear, half-pint, smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1905$80-90

Robert Portner / Brewing Co / Trade / Tivoli / Mark / Alexandria, VA – This Bottle / Not To / Be Sold

Deep olive green, 9-3/8", smooth base, applied blob mouth, American 1885-1900$70-100

Santa Clara – County – Bottling Co. – San Jose

Dark amber, quart, smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1900.$40-50

Santa Fe Bottling Co. – C.V. & CO. – S.F.

Medium amber, pint, smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1900 rare $40-35

Schlitz Milwaukee Lager Howe & Streeter – Manchester, N.H.

Brilliant yellow, 9", smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1900.$150-200

Schroeder’s / B.W.B. Co / St. Louis, MO.

Yellow green, 9-1/8", smooth base, tooled mouth, original porcelain stopper and wire lightning-style closure, American 1885-1900$40-70

Schroeder’s / B.W.B. Co / St. Louis, MO.

Yellow green, 10", smooth base, tooled mouth, original porcelain stopper and wire lightning-style closure, American 1885-1900.$40-70

S.F. Stock Brewing – S.F.S.B. – San Francisco, CAL.

Medium amber, pint, smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1900$400-500

Sunset Bottling – (monogram SBCo.) – San Francisco, CAL.

Amber, pint, smooth base, tooled top, American 1880-1900.$65-75

Tacoma Bottling Co. – S.F. CAL.

Dark amber, half-pint, smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1905$35-45

Tettner & Thoma Weiss Beer – Brewery – St. Louis

Medium amber, pint, smooth base, tooled top, American 1885-1890.$50-75

Union Brewing and Malting Co. – S.F. CAL.

Medium amber, pint, smooth base, applied top, American 1885-1900$30-45