Chosi's Try-me Page

Try-me Bottling Co
(also Clicquot Club)

Company Names, addresses, dates¹:
Try-Me Bottling Co, 1345 Fla ave NE (1927-1956)
Clicquot Club Bottling Co, 1345 Fla ave NE (ca.1948) ²

Try-Me building (photo is not part of my collection)

Notes:
Try-me first shows up in Washington DC directories in 1927, but their ads appear in the Washington Post starting at April 10, 1926. They went for 5 cents a bottle then, and came in 7 flavors: Strawberry, Gingerale, Orange, Peach, Lemon, Root Beer and Grape.
Try-Me was created in Birmingham Alabama by Peter E. Kekenes. Besides Washington DC and Alabama, Try-Me was also in Baltimore MD, Jacksonville FL, Savannah GA, and probably other cities.
The fancy bottles below have a patent date of April 24, 1924 on them, it appears the actual patent (number D64,568) was issued on April 29, 1924, according to the US patent office web site. The inventor was Frederick W. Schwenck. According to this web site , Try Me had the rights to Schwenck's patent, and was suing another company for patent infringement in the lawsuit "TRY-ME BEVERAGE & COMPOUND CO. v. METROPOLE".

Cliquot Club
Apparently the Try-Me bottling company in Washington DC also bottled Clicquot Club beverages, as there are Clicquot Club bottles listed below that say they were bottled by the Try-Me bottling Co.
The Washington DC directories didn't list a "Clicquot Club Bottling Co", but it appears in some newspaper ads from 1948, at the same address as the Try-Me Bottling Company.²

Try Me Bottles:

	book # (unlisted) This is a 9.75" clear machine-made crown top bottle. It is stipled, and embossed: around the shoulder: T M B Co base: TRY-ME BOTTLING CO / 12 OZS / WASH. D.C.
	book # 692 These are 9" machine-made clear crown top bottles with a distinctive ribbed & fluted shape. The one on the left is 10 oz and the one on the right is 9 oz. They are embossed: front: DRINK / Try-me / BEVERAGES / TRADE MARK REG. / TRY ME / CON 10 FL OZ back: DRINK / Try-me / BEVERAGES / TRADE MARK REG. / BEVERAGE CO base: WASHINGTON / PATENTED / APRIL 24, 1924 / DC The 9 oz one has the additional markings around the heel: 3162E 1 G29
	book # 692 This is an 11.2" machine-made green crown top with a distinctive ribbed & fluted shape, embossed: front: DRINK / Try-me / BEVERAGES / TRADE MARK REG. / TRY ME / CON 24 FL OZ back: DRINK / Try-me / BEVERAGES / TRADE MARK REG. / BEVERAGE CO base: WASHINGTON / PATENTED / APRIL 24, 1924 / DC
	book # 693 This is an 8" machine-made green crown top embossed: front: Try-me Pale / TRADE MARK REG. / BOTTLED UNDER AUTHORITY TRY-ME / BEVERAGE & COMPOUND CO back: Try-me Pale / TRADE MARK REG. / MINIMUM CONTENTS 7 FLU. OZS./ BIRMINGHAM, ALA. base: WASHINGTON / DC
	book # 694 This is an 8" black & white applied-color-label crown top bottle (front & back shown). It is marked: front: PURE WHOLESOME / DRINK / Try-me / TRADE MARK REG. / BEVERAGES / DELICIOUS REFRESHING back: MADE WITH / FILTERED CARBONATED WATER / AND SWEETENED WITH / PURE CANE SUGAR / FLAVOR DERIVED FROM NATURAL / FRUITS AND OILS -- FRUIT ACIDS -- / CERTIFIED COLOR ADDED / CONTENTS 12 FL. OZ. / BOTTLED BY / THE TRY-ME BOTTLING CO. / WASHINGTON, D.C. embossed on base: THE TRY-ME BOTTLING CO. / 467B9
	book # 694 This is the same as the bottle above except that the ACL is orange & white (instead of black & white). It's an 8" crown top (front & back shown) marked: front: PURE WHOLESOME / DRINK / Try-me / TRADE MARK REG. / BEVERAGES / DELICIOUS REFRESHING back: MADE WITH / FILTERED CARBONATED WATER / AND SWEETENED WITH / PURE CANE SUGAR / FLAVOR DERIVED FROM NATURAL / FRUITS AND OILS -- FRUIT ACIDS -- / CERTIFIED COLOR ADDED / CONTENTS 12 FL. OZ. / BOTTLED BY / THE TRY-ME BOTTLING CO. / WASHINGTON, D.C. embossed on base: THE TRY-ME BOTTLING CO. / 467B9

Other Try-me Items:

	This is a bottle cap. It is marked: TRY-ME BOTTLING CO / WASHINGTON DC / ARTIFICIAL / COLOR / Try-me / TRADE MARK REGISTERED / GOLDEN ORANGE / DRINK / CONTAINS WATER, SUGAR / FRIT ACID, ORANGE / OIL AND JUICE / LESS THAN 1/10 OF 1$ BENZOATE OF SODA
	This bottle cap is marked: ART FLAV & COLOR / TRY-ME BOT'G CO / WASHINGTON DC /CONTS 9 FL. OZ. / Try-me / TRADE MARK REGISTERED / ORANGE / IMITATION ORANGE There is a date written in pen on the inside cork: 27-Apr-34
	This bottle cap is marked: ART FLA & COLOR / TRY-ME BOT'G CO / WASHINGTON DC /CONTS 9 FL. OZ. / Try-me / TRADE MARK REGISTERED / LIME / IMITATION LIME
	This is a letter addressed to the Try-Me bottling company. I'm unable to make out the date of the cancelation on the back. My attempt to read what it says: front: Jack J. Drossopoulos / Try-me Bottling Company of / Wash. D.C. / 1345 Florida avenue n.e. / Washington DC / U.S.A. rear: Fo Lassa J. Drossopoulos / halandri / greece

Clicquot Club Bottles:

book # 695
This is a 12" machine-made green crown top with a white, black and red Applied Color Label (ACL). Front & rear views are shown. The bottle is marked:
front shoulder: Clicquot Club (picture of child in fluffy coat) Clicquot Club
front: Clicquot / REG. U.S. / PAT. OFF. / Club / (picture of child in fluffy coat carrying bottle) / Full Quart / BEVERAGES
back: CONTENTS 32 FL. OZ. / BOTTLED BY / AUTHORITY OF / Clicquot Club Co. / MILLIS, MASS. U.S.A. / by / TRY ME BOTTLING CO. / WASHINGTON, D.C.
base: Clicquot Club / Duraglass <(i)> 5
The Duraglass date code indicates the year 1945.

book # 695
This is very similar to the bottle above, but it's clear glass vs. green glass. It's 11.8" tall, machine made, and marked:
front shoulder: Clicquot Club (picture of child in fluffy coat holding a bottle) Clicquot Club
front: Clicquot / REG. U.S. / PAT. OFF. / Club / (picture of child in fluffy coat carrying bottle) / Full Quart / BEVERAGES
back: CONTENTS ONE QUART / BOTTLED BY / AUTHORITY OF / Clicquot Club Co. / MILLIS, MASS. U.S.A. / by / TRY ME BOTTLING CO. / WASHINGTON, D.C. :
base: Clicquot Club / Duraglass <(i)> 48
The Duraglass date code indicates the year 1948.

Other Clicquot Club Items:

	This bottle cap has red markings on yellow bckground, and says: CLICQUOT CLUB BOTTLING CO. / (picture of eskimo? with soda bottle) / GOLDEN / GINGER / ALE / WASHINGTON, D.C.
	This bottle cap has black markings that say: Clicquot Club / (picture of a snowflake) / PALE DRY / GINGER ALE / CLICQUOT CLUB / BOTTLING CO., / WASHINGTON, D.C.

¹ Boyd's Directory for the District of Columbia (various years)
² Washington Evening Star, 01-Jun-1948 P.34, 25-Oct-1948 p.17

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This page last updated on April 12, 2026.