Blair House


Company Names, addresses, dates1:
  Blair House Fine Soft Drinks, 500 Penn St NE (1966-1981)

Notes:
Blair House was a brand that was produced by the Rock Creek Ginger Ale Company 2. Both Blair House and Rock Creek are listed separately in the city directories, but they were at the same address (500 Penn St NE).
The "Blair House" in Washington DC is a famous house where heads of states stay when they visit the President.


Bottles:

blair_03 book # 82
This is a stipled, amber 9.75" crown-top bottle with a label:
shoulder label: BLAIR HOUSE QUININE TONIC / IN THE BROWN BOTTLE / TO PROTECT THE DELICATE QUININE ESSENCES FROM LIGHT RAYS / TO SEAL IN THE FRESH BITTER-SWEET TANGY FLAVOR / NO DEPOSIT - NO RETURN
main label: "IT'S CARBONATED" / Blair House / Caribe / QUININE / TONIC / REFRESHING AS A BEVERAGE / OR AS A MIXER / SPACE SAVER FULL QUART / Carbonated water, sugar, citric acid, lemon and lime oils, and quinine. / Blair House Beverages, Washington, D.C.
blair_06 book # (unlisted)
This is a clear, 12.5" crown-top bottle with a label:
orange price tag: Rock Creek / 35c (in circle)
shoulder label: CHILL BEFORE SERVING / (picture of house) / BLAIR HOUSE
main label: "IT'S CARBONATED" / Blair House / SPA / CLUB SODA / THIS VICHY WATER IS SCIENTIFICALLY PREPARED FROM TRIPLE FILTERED / POLISHED PURIFIED WATER WITH MINERAL SALTS ADDED / Distributed by Blair House Beverages, Inc. / Washington, D.C. 20002 / 32 FL OZ (1 QT.)
blair_01 These are stipled, 7" crown-top bottles (clear, green, and amber). They are embossed:
front/back shoulders: 12 FL OZ / NO DEPOSIT
front/back: BLAIR / HOUSE / FINE / SOFT DRINKS
base (left bottle): NOT TO BE REFILLED 8 GK-153610 13 66
base (middle bottle): NOT TO BE REFILLED 3 GK-15361 5 67
base (right bottle): NOT TO BE REFILLED 14 GK-153610 7 66
Note that they don't actually say WASHINGTON DC, but the only "BLAIR HOUSE" bottling company I know of was the one at 500 Penn St NE, Washington DC.
blair_02 These are a stipled (but smooth in the middle), 7" crown-top bottles. Left is green, right is clear. They are both embossed:
front/back shoulders: 12 FL OZ / BLAIR HOUSE
front heel: NO DEPOSIT
rear heel: NO RETURN
base (left bottle): NOT TO BE REFILLED 3 GK-15361 11 68
base (right bottle): NOT TO BE REFILLED 12 (keystone simbol) 3 69
Note that it doesn't actually say WASHINGTON DC, but the only "BLAIR HOUSE" bottling company I know of was the one at 500 Penn St NE, Washington DC.



Other Items:
blair_04 This is a bottle cap marked:
top: SELF MIXING / Blair / House / QUININE / TONIC
edge: BLAIR HOUSE BEV CO WASH DC
blair_05 This is a bottle cap on one of the bottles above. It is marked:
top: IT'S CARBONATED / Blair / House / BEVERAGES
edge: TWIST OFF TO OPEN - TWIST ON TO RESEAL / DISTRIBUTED BY BLAIR HOUSE BEVERAGES INC WASHINGTON DC 20002
blair_07 This is a crown-cap metal proof, which is an unformed bottle cap. Front & rear views are shown. I'm told proofs were used by the manufacturer to get approval from the bottler before they start cranking out finished bottle caps. It says:
front (center): CHERRY / SMASH
front (around the edges): 1/10 of 1% SODIUM BENZOATE / BOTTLED BY BLAIR HOUSE BEVERAGES WASHINGTON DC
rear: (picture of George Washington)


1 Boyd's Directory for the District of Columbia (various years)
2 Washington Post Article 23-Feb-1978 "Brewing up a Fortune in Ginger Ale"


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This page last updated on November 11, 2022.