# union made bottle?



## danny (Dec 23, 2009)

dont know much about this find, just that it was a great looking bottle union made was a plus!!!


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## danny (Dec 23, 2009)

john f betz and sons ltd union made bottle from philadelphia


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## cyberdigger (Dec 23, 2009)

Danny, that's more than as much enthusiasm as usual that you just put into a post about one of your bottles.. I'm going to temporarily classify you as a soda/beer collector...


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## danny (Dec 23, 2009)

cheers to ya!!!


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## surfaceone (Dec 24, 2009)

Prosit, Danny,

 Went looking for John F. Betz information and stumbled upon a fair amount. I can't quite tell from your photo, is yours a crown top or a blob?

 John F. Betz apparently began his brewing career in New York, before moving to Philadelphia. There is evidence that he again brewed in New York about the TOC. and that he was a partner with Karl Hutter and David G. Yuengling, Jr.,  in a Brewery near Richmond, VA in after the Civil War.

 "Brewing Company, with Wolters as vice-president and general manager and Karl Hutter as president.  Hutter was 
 possibly the Karl Hutter, a New York bottle closure manufacturer who supplied Portner with bottles during the 
 1880s.  The Yuengling brewery or â€œJames River Steam Breweryâ€ was founded shortly after the war on the river just 
 below the village of Rocketts, near Richmond.  It was organized by three partners, John F. Betz, John Beyer and 
 David G. Yuengling, Jr., son of the famous Pottsville, Pennsylvania brewer.  (Van Wieren 1995:325,326; H.S. Rich 
 & Co. 1903:402,458; Trow 1875 and 1876; Alexandria Archaeology Collection; Devine & Co. 1866)" From here. 






 "Aqua Green
 Pint
 Champagne
 Blob
 Private Mold
 "monogram" on base" From Bruce Mobley's excellent site.









 "John F. Betz & Sons, Inc.
 Philadelphia, PA (1775 - 1939)

 Robert Hare & J. Warren Peter Brewery	Philadelphia, PA	1775 - 1790
 Robert Hare Porter Brewery	Philadelphia, PA	1790 - 1799
 Robert Hare & Son	Philadelphia, PA	1800 - 1804
 Robert Hare & Son	Philadelphia, PA	1805 - 1817
 Jacob Smith	Philadelphia, PA	1817 - 1823
 Frederick Gaul & Sons	Philadelphia, PA	1824 - 1854
 Gaul & Lewis	Philadelphia, PA	1854 - 1860
 Gaul & Austin	Philadelphia, PA	1860 - 1861
 William Gaul	Philadelphia, PA	1861 - 1869
 John F. Betz	Philadelphia, PA	1869 - 1880
 John F. Betz & Son	Philadelphia, PA	1880 - 1889
 John F. Betz & Son, Ltd.	Philadelphia, PA	1889 - 1920
 John F. Betz & Son, Inc.	Philadelphia, PA	1933 - 1939"  The trays and timeline are from Trayman.

 You mighy get additional information from Rich Wagner, you can find his e-mail at this site.

 You can find a Betz listing along with a multitude of other brewers here.






 From here.

 "An influx of German immigrants brought lager beer to the United States, yet porter was so popular that even German brewers were producing a bottom-fermented version as part of their portfolio throughout the 19th century. The logic behind porter production at lager breweries was to cater to the Anglo-Saxon and Welsh populations of the mid-Atlantic states, who initially preferred the porter style over lagers.

 This era was the heyday of American porter production. Evidence suggests that Philadelphia porter was exported to the West Indies and South America along with India pale ale. In 1857, pale ale, porter, and brown stout production in the Quaker City was 170,000 bbl, or 48% of the city's total beer production. At an average cost of $6/bbl (5), revenues were more than $1,000,000. At this time, lager beer eclipsed pale ale and porter production in Philadelphia, but only by 10,000 bbl.

 Even after lager beer developed a stronghold in Pennsylvania, the lager breweries continued to produce porters. At the dawn of the 20th century, Philadelphia companies such as American Brewing, Begner & Engel, and John F. Betz & Son (successors of Robert Hare's Brewery) were all manufacturing porter. In an interesting example of the recognition of American porter's uniqueness, the John Roehm Brewery at that time produced an 'Imitation English Porter." From here.

 "John F. Betz & Son Inc.

 Robert Hare was the son of an English porter brewer. He emigrated with L1,500 from his father and came to Philadelphia to establish a brewery that stood at the corner of Callowhill and New Market streets and was in business by the time of the Revolutionary War. Hare was alligned with those favoring independence. When British General Howe occupied the city from 1777-1778, Robert Hare fled to Virginia leaving his brewery in the hands of British and Tory sympathizers.

 Robert Hare and J. Warren are said to be the first two brewers to introduce porter brewing to the United States. On July 20, 1788, George Washington wrote to Clement Biddle, importer and merchant, "I beg you will send me a gross of Mr. Hare's best bottled porter if the price is not much enhanced by the copious draughts you took of it at the late procession." A year later Hare was a delegate to the State Constitutional Convention and in 1795 he was made Speaker of the Senate.

 In 1789 George Washington presented his "Buy American" policy by stating he would drink only porter made in America. The porter Washington was drinking was that made by Robert Hare and shipped to Mount Vernon.

 In 1804 the establishment became known as the Gaul Brewery and was operated by Frederick Gaul, an experienced German brewer from Frankfurt-on Main who emigrated to America prior to the Revolution.

 John F. Betz came to Philadelphia in 1867 from New York, where he had been brewing for fourteen years. He took a job at the Gaul Brewery until purchasing it in 1880. Prior to Betz's ownership, only ale and porter were brewed. Betz commenced brewing lager beer as well. John F. Betz became very active in the real estate market in the city. One of his other concerns was a beer garden at Riverside above the Wissahickon Creek on the Schuylkill River. He put in a line of little steamboats to carry his patrons up the river from Fairmount Dam. Betz produced an IPA of 6.5 % a.b.v. and an East India Pale Ale at 7.5% a.b.v. Betz's half-and-half was a mixture of two-year old ale and stout, and Betz's Best was a lager that was said to rival Bavarian imports. The Betz brewery reopened after Prohibition and remained in business until 1939."  From right here.






 "The brewery at 415 Callowhill, 5th & Lawrence Streets, Philadelphia, PA produced also:
 Betz India Pale Ale  1933 - 1935
 India Pale Ale  1933 - 1935
 Betz Porter  1933 - 1939
 Betz Bock  1933 - 1939
 Betz Pilsener Beer  1933 - 1939
 Five Star Ale  1933 - 1939
 Old Stock Lager Beer  1933 - 1939
 Old German Beer  1934 - 1937"  From here.

 I found this geneology site that contained some interesting Betz history:









 There was apparently a burnt leaf on the family tree: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 With thanks to the geneologists here.

 "Trade Names for the brewery at 450 North 128th Street, New York City, NY:
 Casper Heindel, Manhattan Brewery (10th Avenue & 128th Street) 1865-1870
 William Maack, Manhattan Brewery 1870-1875
 Yuengling & Co., Manhattan Brewery 1875-1880
 D. G. Vuengling, Jr., Manhattan Brewery 1880-1884
 D. G. Yuengling Brewing Co. 1884-1897
 John F. Betz, Manhattan Brewery (Amsterdam Avenue & 128th Street) 1897-1901
 Betz & Sons Brewing Co. of New York City, Manhattan Brewery 1901-1903
 Bernheimer & Schwartz, Pilsener Brewing Co (Readdressed to 127th to 129th & Amsterdam) 1903-1920
 Brewery operations shut down by National Prohibition in 1920" 












  From Tavern Trove.

 Lastly, there's a porcelain Betz stopper on fleabay in the Buy It Now dept.


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