# Soda or med?  KOLATONA



## carling (Jun 12, 2008)

I found a neat (under the attic floorboard) bottle yesterday, looks to be about a 7 ounce size.  I tried googling, and put some of what I found below.  Good info, but I'm a little confused as to what this would technically be........a med, a soda, or both?  Also, can anyone date it?  Is it rare?

 Thanks!..............Rick

 1. the manufacture of a medical drink called "Kolatona," a discovery of his own combining many curative properties, besides being a most agreeable and refreshing beverage

 2. a popular drink called Kolatona, and this has a large sale. He also prepares an antiseptic, known as McLinâ€™s New Antiseptic, and formerly called the Oil Radium, a preparation which is very generally used by both the profession and the laity.

 3. Dozens of local and regional bottlers sold celery soda. A few brands were developed locally, such as Kolatona in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, and Smith's Celery and Phosphate in California.

 4.  Dr. George McLin was clearly a man who embraced opportunity. A world traveler and enthusiastic entrepreneur, the good doctor hung out his shingle in 1880 in Huntington, where he also invented and marketed a patented antiseptic and a soda called Kolatona.   

 [/align]5.  Over a hundred companies across the US, Canada, Mexico, the Carribean, and Australia produced celery brands such as Celery=Cola, Celery Tonic, Celery Phosphate, Kolatona, Celerytone, Celo, Cel-Ray and many others from the 1890's to the present day.


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## carling (Jun 12, 2008)

photo


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## carling (Jun 12, 2008)

photo


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## morbious_fod (Jun 12, 2008)

Ya don't see those very often. Nice bottle.


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## capsoda (Jun 12, 2008)

It is a celery beverage that prolly started out to be medicinal. Coke and pepsi as well as many other sodas started out as medicinal beverages. I would say it is rare with a label in that shape. Great find.

 Why would so many people drink celery soda.  [&:]


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## celerycola (Jun 12, 2008)

*Celery Soda?*

Celery Soda? 	

 The idea brings up mental images of corned beef sandwiches and Kosher delis for those who are vaguely familiar with celery flavored soda. The majority of people see celery soda either as a joke or simply a bad idea. Few people realize that their ancestors consumed a lot of celery soda in the last century. There have been well over a hundred brands of celery soda manufactured and sold across the United States and other countries since the 1880â€™s. Celery soda was recognized as a major flavor category by the United States Department of Commerce. Competition in many cities was fierce between bottlers selling their own variations such as Celery Tonic, Celery Phosphate, Celery Cream, Celery  & Iron, Celery Cola, and even Celery Beer. At least one brand, Arnyâ€™s Celery Soda of New Orleans, was such a favorite with one consumer that she named her newborn son after it in 1912. 

 The only celery flavored soda still on the market, Dr. Brownâ€™s Cel-Ray, claims sales in all fifty states and many foreign countries. The Dr. Brownâ€™s label states â€œSince 1868â€ but the existence of early stoneware and pontilled glass bottles with the Dr. Brownâ€™s name may indicate a still earlier origin.  Dr. Brown himself has variously been described as a fiction, a beverage chemist, and a doctor treating immigrant children on Manhattanâ€™s Lower East Side. The Dr. Brownâ€™s Celery Tonic label was registered in 1904 and fiercely defended in the courts. Dr. Brownâ€™s Celery Tonic changed to Cel-Ray around 1930. Dr. Brownâ€™s Celery Tonic was a New York City regional drink for its early years and remains most popular in that area.

 The first celery soft drink sold on a national basis was Mayfieldâ€™s Celery=Cola. James C. Mayfield was a partner of Coca-Cola inventor John Pemberton in Atlanta in 1888. On Pembertonâ€™s death, Mayfield became president and chief chemist of the Pemberton Medicine Company. Mayfield was involved in the Wine Coca Company of Atlanta and Boston for several years before opening his Celery=Cola factory in 1899 in Birmingham. Due to national advertising and his many contacts in the soft drink business Celery=Cola was soon bottled and sold across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, and as far away as Australia. Mayfield operated as the Celery=Cola Company, Koke Company of America, and Mayfield Beverage Company for thirty years.

 Dozens of local and regional bottlers sold celery soda. A few brands were developed locally such as Kolatona in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan and Smithâ€™s Celery and Phosphate in California. Others were produced with flavors and extracts purchased from supply houses such as Liquid Carbonic in Chicago and Blue Seal Supply in Boston, among others.

 I am always seeking bottles, advertising, and historical information on celery sodas. Please contact: 
 Dennis Smith, P.P.Box 1913, Buffalo, NY 14225. 
 email: celerycola@yahoo.com


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## madman (Jun 12, 2008)

yo nice bottle that baby looks high as **** whoah! good stuff  mike


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## celerycola (Jun 13, 2008)

I collect celery sodas and have blob top, bimal and abm embossed, and acl Kolatonas from Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. I would be interested in that labeled bottle if it's for sale or trade.

 Dennis Smith
 celerycola@yahoo.com


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## capsoda (Jun 13, 2008)

I knew that celery Cola was big but I didn't realize it was that big. Thanks Dennis.


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## carling (Jun 14, 2008)

Thanks to everyone for the comments and great info.

 And to Dennis (Celerycola), got your email and sent one back.  If you missed it or it went to your spam folder, just wanted to let you know that currently I won't be selling it.  But I printed your info if I ever change my mind.

 Thanks again, guys!..................Rick


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## celerycola (Jun 16, 2008)

Kolatonas inventor Dr. McLin claimed the drink was bottled in over twenty towns. Here's a list of Kolatona bottles I have and towns I've confirmed had bottling plants.

 Kolatona Bottle List 

 Huntington, IN
 McLinâ€™s Kolatona Huntington, IN bimal amber blob
 McLinâ€™s Kolatona bimal amber squat blob
 Kolatona Bottling Works Huntington IN clear abm crown I-26
 Kolatona Bottling Works Huntington IN aqua abm crown 30-S
 Kolatona Beverages Huntington IN clear ACL crown Ball 44
 Kolatona Huntington IN green ACL crown Duraglas 55
 Kolatona Huntington IN green ACL crown 

 Cleveland, OH
 Kolatona Clevâ€™d Kolatona Co. amber bimal crown D.O.C.

 Grand Rapids, MI
 Kolatona Grand Rapids Kolatona Co MI Contents 23 Fluid Oz bimal amber crown ROOT 10 severely damaged
 Kolatona Grand Rapids Kolatona Co MI bimal amber crown ROOT 10
 Kolatona Grand Rapids Kolatona Co MI bimal aqua slug plate crown ROOT 8
 Kolatona Grand Rapids Kolatona Co MI abm aqua crown ROOT 26
 Kolatona Grand Rapids Kolatona Co MI bimal aqua crown ROOT 12
 Kolatona Co. Grand Rapids MI aqua 12oz bimal slug crown ROOT
 Kolatona Co. Grand Rapids MI TBINS aqua 12oz bimal slug crown ROOT
 Kolatona Co. Grand Rapids MI aqua abm crown ROOT 24

 Other Towns Where Bottled:

 Ft. Wayne, IN
 Rushville, IN
 Lima, OH
 Marion, OH
 Galion, OH
 Karlington, ND


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## celerycola (Jun 16, 2008)

*Kolatona Trade Card*

Kolatona Trade Card


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