Arlington Brewing Co
Consumers Brewing Co
Cherry Smash Co


Company Names, addresses, dates1:
  Consumers Brewing Co, Rosslyn VA (1895-1902)
  Consumers Brewing Co office, 517 9th street NW DC (1899-1901)
  Arlington Brewing Co, Rosslyn VA (1902-1918)
  Cherry Smash, Rosslyn VA (1920-1933?)
  Dixie Brewing Corp, Rosslyn VA (1934)

Notes:
The dates above came from a combination of American Breweries II2, DC City Directories1 and old articles in the Washington Post. Consumers Brewing Co started in 1895 and built a brewery in Rosslyn VA. It became the Arlington Brewing Co in 1902. If you compare the bottles shown below it appears that there was very little difference between when it was Consumers vs Arlington. After prohibition the brewery was bought by John E. Fowler, who moved his Richmond based Cherry Smash soda company to Rosslyn. In 1933 Fowler formed the Dixie Brewing Corp, but it doesn't appear that the company lasted long enough to brew any beer. The Brewery building was torn down in 1958 to make way for the Key Bridge Motel & Hot Shoppes Restaurant, which is now the Key Bridge Mariott Hotel.

Bottles:

arlington_02 (enlarge) This is 9.5" light-amber lady-leg crown top marked:
shoulder: ARLINGTON BREWING CO. / ROSSLYN, VA.
arlington (enlarge) Left bottle is a 9.3" light-amber lady-leg crown top. Middle is a 9.3" aqua crown top. Right bottle is 9.5" dark-amber lady-leg crown top. All are marked:
front: Arlington / Brewing Co. / ROSSLYN, VA.
consumers1 (enlarge) The bottle on the left is aqua and the one on the right is amber with a lady-leg shaped neck. Both are 9.5" crown tops marked:
front: Consumers / Brewing Co. / ROSSLYN, VA.
back: EHG CO
Note that these are pretty much identical in size & style to the Arlington Brewing Co bottles above.
consumers2 (enlarge) This is a 9" aqua crown-top marked:
front: Consumers / ROSSLYN, VA.
consumers3 (enlarge) The bottle on the left is a 9.1" aqua crown-top marked:
front: CONSUMERS BREWING CO. / TRADE / CBCo / MARK / ROSSLYN VA. / THIS BOTTLE / NOT TO BE SOLD
back: S C Co
The bottle on the right is a 9.5" aqua crown-top marked:
front: CONSUMERS BREWING CO. / TRADE / CBCo / MARK / ROSSLYN VA. / REGISTERED
back: THIS BOTTLE / NOT TO BE SOLD
csmash (enlarge) This is a Cherry Smash jug. Cherry Smash took over the brewery during prohibition years.
label: CHERRY / SMASH / READY TO USE / CHERRY FLAVORED / FOUNTAIN SYRUP / ... / MANUFACTURED BY / CHERRY SMASH / ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA / SINCE 1901
csmash_02 (enlarge) This is another Cherry Smash jug, embossed "ONE GALLON", with the following label:
label: CHERRY / SMASH / READY TO USE / CHERRY FLAVORED / FOUNTAIN SYRUP / ... / DISTRIBUTED BY / ROSSLYN STATION CHERRY SMASH ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA
csmash_04 (enlarge) This is a textured, amber jug, embossed on both sides with "ONE GALLON". It also has a line with an arrow pointing to it, presumably where the one-gallon mark is. The label is the same as the one on the bottle above:
label: CHERRY / SMASH / READY TO USE / CHERRY FLAVORED / FOUNTAIN SYRUP / ... / DISTRIBUTED BY / ROSSLYN STATION CHERRY SMASH ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA
csmash_03 (enlarge) This is a cherry smash soda bottle. I don't know if it was made in the Rosslyn facility, but it does say Arlington VA. It is a 9.6" clear bottle with white ACL label marked:
front: CHERRY SMASH / A True fruit blend / CHERRY SMASH / REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. / CARBONATED WATER, CANE SUGAR, / CHERRY AND OTHER NATURAL FLAVORS, / CITRIC ACID, ADDED ARTIFICIAL / FOOD COLOR, 1/20 of 1% SODIUM / BENZOATE / 10 FL. OZ.
back: CHERRY SMASH / A True fruit blend / A / DELICIOUS / DRINK / FRANCHISED BY / CHERRY SMASH CO., INC. / ARLINGTON, VA., U.S.A.


1 Boyd's Directory for the District of Columbia (various years)
2 American Breweries II by Dale P. Van Wieren



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This page last updated on April 27, 2008.