# House Brother's Sparkling Lithia - Rochester, NY



## Fingerlakes (May 18, 2011)

Here is one that I have had for a while and have only seen some 1890's House Brother's Ginger Beer. Never have been able to find anything on this one. Looks to be an applied top too.


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## epackage (May 18, 2011)

Good looking bottle, you're getting some nice labeled stuff..Jim


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## kwalker (May 18, 2011)

I love it! Labelled bottles are my favorite by far []


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## surfaceone (May 19, 2011)

Hello Charlie,

 That is a wonderful label, and a nice drippy early crown.

 I think the House Brothers must have been Bottlers.






 "#1
 Amber
 Pint
 Squat Weiss
 Blob
 Private Mold" From Bruce Mobley.

 Here's one of the Ginger Beers that was just on greedbay.









 I did see a listing for a George House, saloon keeper in the1874 Rochester Directory, "House George, saloon, 33 Front, house do."

 There was also this Gono listing: "ROCHESTER           X-S-  -NY-C-30 -"QUALTOP"(M+N)-"HOUSE BROS BEV"(B)" 

 Perhaps the folks at the Genesee Valley Club might have more information.


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## cowseatmaize (May 19, 2011)

> Here's one of the Ginger Beers that was just on greedbay.


Interesting but I don't think true. I don't think that stopper goes with that bottle but it's nice looking. I wonder if the bottle is Rochester England and somewhere there's a nice bottle waiting for it's stopper.[]


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## CazDigger (May 19, 2011)

> Interesting but I don't think true. I don't think that stopper goes with that bottle but it's nice looking. I wonder if the bottle is Rochester England and somewhere there's a nice bottle waiting for it's stopper


 
 That stopper does go with that style ginger beer bottle, for sure. I have many of them from Upstate NY and they are the typical closure on that type of stoneware ginger beer. The House family was well known for soda and beer bottling here. L House in Syracuse, C. House in Oneida, House Bros on Rochester and there were others along the Erie Canal in other cities in upstate NY as well.


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## BillinMo (May 19, 2011)

Yes, House Brothers bottled all sorts of beverages in Rochester for a long time -- up into the 50s, at least.  They were involved in Qualtop soft drinks and some of those bottles are embossed with their name.  The later bottles just have the Qualtop embossing without House Bros. but I'm not sure of the transition point.


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## cowseatmaize (May 19, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  CazDigger
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Cool, I love being corrected. I never saw a stoneware with a stopper like that. 
 This got me to take out the encyclopedia of bottlers and sure enough there it is. In 1925 it was a member of ABCB listed as House Brothers Beverages Inc. 416 Lake St. Rochester.
 Thanks for the correction.


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## Fingerlakes (May 19, 2011)

I have also found that House Bros. had a few other locations over the years... Two of them right near the current location of Genesee Brewery. - What I found funny is that there are some Ebay auctions selling their Ginger Beer stoneware...and mentioning in their description that the bottles are rare because House Bros. were only around for one year (1896) []


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