Red Jacket Bitters Bottle Info

[Huskerhunter]

I fount this bottle on a gravel bar in SE Nebraska while looking for arrowheads. I’ve done some research and have determined it was made around 1866. What I haven’t been able to figure out is its rarity and value. I figure it must be pretty scarce because It’s been hard finding any records of one like it online. I’m not a bottle collector, so I don’t know any knowledge resources that I can take it to for information. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!🤘

[sandchip]

Nice find. Is "Red Jacket Bitters" embossed on the fourth panel or would yours have been a label only varient? Having pinned it down to 1866, you may have already read this, but here's a link to Peachridge. You may contact Meyer and see if he can tell you more. If "Bitters" isn't embossed on it, that will tend to suppress the value somewhat. The collector that would be most interested would probably be one trying to assemble every varient of bottles from that company, or a collector of squares in general. Best of luck.

https://www.peachridgeglass.com/2013...hicago-indian/

[Blak bart]

Now that's a nice bottle !! Congrats.....she's a beauty !!

[Huskerhunter]

Nice find. Is "Red Jacket Bitters" embossed on the fourth panel or would yours have been a label only varient? Having pinned it down to 1866, you may have already read this, but here's a link to Peachridge. You may contact Meyer and see if he can tell you more. If "Bitters" isn't embossed on it, that will tend to suppress the value somewhat. The collector that would be most interested would probably be one trying to assemble every varient of bottles from that company, or a collector of squares in general. Best of luck.

https://www.peachridgeglass.com/2013...hicago-indian/

Thanks for the info. It had a label on the 4th panel. Who is this Meyer fella and how would one go about contacting him?

[epackage]

Thanks for the info. It had a label on the 4th panel. Who is this Meyer fella and how would one go about contacting him?

Ferdinand Meyer is the president of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors, if you look to sell it I'd suggest Glass Works Auctioneers, this is the first time I've ever seen this variant. Good luck if you decide to sell it, Ferds email is ferdinand@peachridgeglass.com, and here is the link to Glass Works if you want to contact them... Glass Works Auctions

[sandchip]

Ferdinand Meyer is the president of the Federation of Historical Bottle Collectors...

To clarify, past president. The current prez is Matt Lacy.

[epackage]

To clarify, past president. The current prez is Matt Lacy.

My bad, funny thing is I chat with him 4 to 5 times a week, my brain is fried... LOL

[sandchip]

My bad, funny thing is I chat with him 4 to 5 times a week, my brain is fried... LOL

I understand. He did a lot for the Federation and I still think of him as president too at times.

[PikesPeakCharlie]

I can only imagine what that looked like sitting on a sandbar Congrats !!!!!

[islamoradamark]

Thats a great find

[RelicDude]

Wow amazing find.

[A2coins]

Holy moly that's freakin cool go back and look for more

[Blak bart]

Congrats on that banner.....I think a lot of us voted without saying anything....I sure did it's an awsome find !!

[dieselfool]

I have spent some time in Nebraska bars, and I found a few bottles, too. Never thought about looking for arrowheads. Maybe next time.

[DCMatt]

That is so cool!

Sorry to hijack this thread, but this is a topic that interests me greatly.

I've been studying and sampling mid-19th century alcoholic beverages for the last couple of years and 'bitters' plays an important role.

In American colonial times, bitters was typically a concoction made of herbs and essential oils put together by the local apothecary (pharmacist). Whatever your problem, the apothecary could mix up something to make you feel better.

Distilled liquors were gaining popularity at the time. Men would often start their day (this was before coffee became the morning beverage) with a 'Sling' - water, sugar, and your liquor of choice. I can assure you these are pretty tasty but the sugar and alcohol combination are a hangover waiting to happen. So when your stomach was upset and your head was aching, you went to the apothecary for a dose of bitters to make yourself feel better.

As people began to realize that it was the morning Sling(s) that caused the problem and the afternoon bitters that was the answer, they got the brilliant, albeit twisted, idea to mix the cause with the cure and voila - we have the beginnings of the mixed drinks known as "cocktails".

Here is a recipe from an 1862 book on bar tending:



I've actually made this one and it is delicious. I did make one change. Virginia snake-root is toxic to humans, so I replaced it with a small amount of fresh ginger.

À votre santé!