Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
PICNIC BEER
"PICNIC" BEER. At the beginning of the 20th century, many small breweries were closing down as the larger breweries controlled the market. One of the new ideas used by the larger breweries was the use of large half-gallon sized bottles. These containers were called "picnic" bottles because it was thought one container held enough beer to serve everyone at a small picnic.
"Picnic" beer bottles were usually made of amber glass and stood 13 to 14 inches tall. Many were marked on the bottom with the A.B. Co. glasshouse mark. While other bottles were changing over to the use of new closures, the picnic bottles used the blob top with a wire closure and a porcelain stopper and rubber seal. "Picnic" beer bottles were generally limited to the mid-western states of Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
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Source:
Discussion with a local collector.
