# Ritz Beverage Co. / St. Louis, Mo



## bottle-bud (Jan 16, 2019)

Ritz Beverage Company
1822 – 1826 South 12[SUP]th[/SUP] Street
Saint Louis, Missouri

1936 is the first year that I find Ritz Beverage Company in a city directory. 1936 also lists Nehi Bottling Co at the same address as Ritz. I am guessing Nehi was bottling the Ritz Products at the time, but this would not last as The Royal Crown Cola Bottling Co would open there own bottling operation in 1939.
Located at 4022 W. Pine, RC Cola Bottling Co of St. Louis would bottle Royal Crown Cola, Nehi, Par-T-Pak, Upper 10 and Diet Rite for many years to come.

I found an ad from 1937 for Ritz sodas. Looks like they bottled Double Cola and Morland Club also.
I do have a pair of Double Cola’s in my collection but have yet to find a bottle or anything related to the Morland Club.





Below are two bottles in my collection from Ritz, a late 1930 to early 1940’s 12-ounce that would have had a paper label and 1936 art deco version. Also shown is a 1930’s Nehi. This is the only St. Louis marked Nehi that I have in my collection. Nehi was franchised from The Nehi Corp. of Columbus, Ga.

  


Next, I find an ad from 1939 for Double-Cola showing the same bottle I have in my collection. Actually, I have two bottles, one dating 1939 and the other 1940.  Double Cola was franchised from the Seminole Flavor Co. of Chattanooga, Tennessee             



1941 comes around and Dad’s Root Beer Bottling Company now shares the same address as Ritz Beverage Co. Dad’s and Ritz will share this address into the early 1960’s.
Here are some of the earlier Ritz bottles in my collection. A 6-ounce bottle dated 1946, two 10-ounce versions dating 1943 and 1944, and a 1952 version showing a young man in tails with a top hat and cane. 
   

Later versions include a 12-ounce, 1955 lemon lime, a 12-ounce 1956, and a 16-ounce bottle dated 1963. Looks like the Ritz kid has matured from a baby in 1939, to a stylish young man in 1952 and rapidly aged to an older gentleman now sporting a mustache and a monocle in the late 1950’s
  


Ritz Beverage Company had many different flavors. Labels are easily found on E-bay. Here are the ones I have in my collection.
   



In November of 1941 and I find an ad welcoming Dad’s RootBeer to St. Louis. The ad and the paper label soda bottle show the same address as Ritz Beverage Co. Dad’s was franchised by Dad’s Root Beer Co. out of Chicago,Illinois.


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## bottle-bud (Jan 16, 2019)

*Ritz and Clicquot Club*

Looks like Ritz Beverage Co. also purchased a franchise for bottling Clicquot Club. The letterhead shows the same address of 1826 South 12[SUP]th [/SUP]Street in St. Louis. I am unsure of the date of this letterhead but it probably is in the 1950’s. Also pictured are three paper labels and a 7-ounce acl bottle that dates to the mid 1960’s. Clicquot Club was franchised by Clicquot Club Co.of Millis, Ma.


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## iggyworf (Jan 16, 2019)

Great write up and great clean bottles! That's cool how they started out with a baby and aged him as the soda went thru the years.


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## shotdwn (Jan 16, 2019)

Good informational post. Nice collection of bottles and labels.


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## bottle-bud (Jan 17, 2019)

Thanks for the nice comments iggy & shotdwn


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## GLASSHOPPER55 (Jan 17, 2019)

Yes very nice thread with nice clear pictures. Enjoyed it!


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## bottle-bud (Jan 17, 2019)

Thank You for the nice comment Glasshoppers55!


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## HouTxSoda (Jan 22, 2019)

Excellent post, incredible collection.


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## bottle-bud (Jan 22, 2019)

Thank You HouTxSoda!


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