# Boker's Bitters



## HDuncan (Sep 15, 2009)

Hello everyone,

 I trust you are all well.

 I am currently searching high and low for a Boker's Bitters bottle from the mid to late 1800s (preferably with contents however I'd still be happy if they were empty) and wondered if one of you good folks out there may be able to help me out...

 The reason I ask is because I am currently re-producing a modern variant on Boker's Bitters based on recipes from the mid to late 1800s and am trying to get hold of a sample of the original Boker's stomach bitters.  I would also like to obtain a bottle as I am looking into the possibility of getting a company to manufacture a bottle based on the original lady-leg bottle shape.

 Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

 I look forward to hearing from you.

 Kind regards,

 Adam

 Email - adam.elmegirab@evo-lution.org


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## HDuncan (Sep 15, 2009)

Thanks for that, but I'm pretty sure I already have every recipe for Boker's that's been put into print.

 I'm hoping to obtain an original sample of either the bitters and/or an original bottle as seen below...







 I have my fingers crossed that someone may be able to help.


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## cyberdigger (Sep 15, 2009)

Goodness gracious, that is one tremendously interesting looking bottle!!


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## madman (Sep 15, 2009)

wow! awsome!


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## jays emporium (Sep 16, 2009)

It looks like that bottle is unembossed.  I see ladies leg bottles like that on ebay sometimes but nobody would know what it was without the label.  If you just want the bottle without label you can probably find one there or maybe someone on here has one in their collections.
 Where was Bokers Bitters originally made?


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## glass man (Sep 16, 2009)

> The reason I ask is because I am currently re-producing a modern variant on Boker's Bitters based on recipes


 Why? are you going to sell it commercially again as a medicine? Wow! Can't you show the company the picture you already have of the bottle and they could copy from that?  Jamie


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## CALDIGR2 (Sep 16, 2009)

Boker's come in unembossed, paper labeled, ladies leg shaped bottles, only. I have not seen, or heard of, an embossed example.


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## HDuncan (Sep 17, 2009)

> ORIGINAL:  jays emporium
> 
> I see ladies leg bottles like that on ebay sometimes but nobody would know what it was without the label.


 
 I've not found one as yet... 



> ORIGINAL:  jays emporium
> 
> If you just want the bottle without label you can probably find one there or maybe someone on here has one in their collections.


 
 I'll keeping looking on ebay, however if someone has one in their collection they may be interested in selling I'd be happy to talk to them!



> ORIGINAL:  jays emporium
> 
> Where was Bokers Bitters originally made?


 
 From the info I've found it was first sold in New York in 1828 after being created by John G. Boker (real name Johann Boker) although I've found an article which alluded to the fact it may have been made in Germany (specifically Dusseldorf) before then. 



> ORIGINAL:  glass man
> Why? are you going to sell it commercially again as a medicine? Wow! Can't you show the company the picture you already have of the bottle and they could copy from that?  Jamie


 
 I'm not selling it commercially as a medicine, but as a cocktail bitters.  I'd like a bottle as I would be interested in getting a company to make a bottle true to its original shape.  Although my problem is that I've no idea where to look to get a bottle made to a specific shape?!?

 I've recently embarked on a project to recreate the cocktail recipes from the very first printed bartender's guide printed written by Jerry Thomas in 1862 (http://thejerrythomasproject.blogspot.com/)

 As part of this project, and also due to demand, I've been attempting to reproduce the long-lost bitters called Boker's.  Boker's were originally a stomach bitters (there were many around in the 1700/1800s before the advent of what we now know as modern-day medicine) which claimed to have a variety of medicinal properties.  Like most things, they ended up being added to mixed drinks and were the preferred brand of bitters used by Jerry Thomas (the oldest reference to the definition of the word cock-tail in print defines it as a containing spirit, sugar, water and bitters - the cock-tail was originally a family of drinks and was consumed first thing in the morning as a pick-me-up).


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## jays emporium (Sep 17, 2009)

ca 1870 LADIES LEG BITTERS style bottle dug ASTORIA ORE

 Here is one similar but the lip is different than the one you pictured.
 [/align]


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## glass man (Sep 18, 2009)

> Although my problem is that I've no idea where to look to get a bottle made to a specific shape?!?


  WONDER COULD YOU LOOK UP THE PATENT ON THIS BOTTLE? SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD GIVE THE DEMESIONS ETC. ANYWAY THINK WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS A COOL IDEA,BUT JUST WONDER ABOUT THE PRICE FRO SUCH A SPECIALIZED BOTTLE? WELL GOOD LUCK TO YOU! LET US KNOW HOW IT IS GOING AND WHEN YOU DO LET US KNOW HOW TO BUY SOME OF IT![&:] JAMIE


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## westernbittersnut (Sep 18, 2009)

HDuncan,

  I did have a complete unopened amber ladies leg Boker's Stomach Bitters like your example. Unfortunately I tasted it and sold the bottle with contents to a labeled western bitters collector some 25 years or so ago. The bottle was a light amber with a short double tapered collar top. Similar labels to yours. 

  This is an earlier book with Boker's Stomach Bitters recipe in it. This book was published in 1853 by P. Lacour in New Orleans, LA. 

  Here is the recipe: Boker Bitters, for Making One Gallon.- Rasped quassia, two ounces; catechu, half an ounce; snake-root, half an ounce; calamus, one ounce; cardamom seed, half an ounce; bruise and macerate for one week in two pints of proof whiskey, and strain. Color with two ounces of burnt surgar, and add six pints of water.


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## glass man (Sep 19, 2009)

OR YOU COULD MAKE YOUR OWN SINCE LOOKS LIKE THE RECIPE DIFFERS FROM TIME TO TIME. I BAT WING,TWO SALEMANDER EGGS,1 EYE OF NEWT [THIS WILL BE HARD CAUSE THOUGH NEWT GINGRICH IS OLDER HE IS WIREY!] ,1 LAP DANCE,TWO PUBIC HAIRS YOU HAVE TO PERSONALLY PULL FROM AN ADULT GORILLA,[BE FAST!] ,A MEMBER FROM THE FLOCK OF SEAGULLS,A GUITAR PICK USED BY DUANNE ALLMAN,THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE OF BARACK O BAMA,A WHOLE YAK,A 1920S BROMO SELZER BOTTLE [LARGER SIZE THE BETTER!], 500 PEYOTE BUTTONS,SOME ORGANIC MESCULINE,[BOUT A POUND WILL DO,A HUMP FROM A CAMEL,TEN GALLONS OF WABO CABO,5LBS OF VALIUM[IF VALIUM NOT AVAILIBLE ZANEX WILL DO,BUT DOUBLED UP ON IT] 1 GALLON OF TABASCO SAUCE,16 POUNDS OF QUAKER OATS AS PEOPLE NEED THE ROUGHEGE,SOME BURT SUGER ,SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE,.

 PUT ALL THE INGREDIENTS INTO A HUGE VAT,BRING TO A FAST BOIL THEN LET IT SIMMER FOR 2 MONTHS. SHOULD MAKE ENOUGH SERVINGS FOR 50 PEOPLE THAT WON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DID FOR THE PAST WEEK AND WON'T CARE![8D] JAMIE -MY MOTTO "YOU CAN TRUST ME!"[&:]


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