The shape of a bottle has a lot to say about a bottle's age and the
product that it held. Regional preferences and traditions help to
dictate what shapes were popular and for how long. Some forms are
noticeably rare or absent from some areas of the country while popular
in others. Porter beer bottles, which were used to bottle ales, porters
and stouts, exist in less than half a dozen forms in the Western
states, but were extremely popular in Eastern Pennsylvania, with
thousands of examples; even though these styles of beer were popular in
both areas of the country.
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Porter shape, circ: 1760-1918
Typical size: 7 x 3" or 6 3/4 x 2 3/4"
Also in quart size and sided
Used to bottle various heavy beers such as porter, ale, and stout.
Glass only. Occurs on over 2,000 bottles. |
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Early ale shape, circ: 1847-1851
Typical size: 7 1/2 x 2 7/8"
Not known in quart size or sided
Used to bottle ale.
Glass & Pottery. Occurs on
20 bottles. |
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Early lager shape, circ: 1847-1851
Typical size: 8 1/2 x 2 7/8"
Not known in quart size or sided
Used to bottle lager beer.
Glass only. Occurs on
13 bottles. |
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Late ale or lager shape, circ: 1851-1910
Typical size: 7 x 2 7/8" or 6 3/4 x 2 3/4"
Not known in quart size or sided
A merging of the early lager and ale shapes. Used to
bottle lager to about 1878 and ale and porter until 1910.
Glass only. Occurs on
68 bottles. |
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Teepee shape, circ: 1850-1875
Typical size: 7 1/2 x 2 3/4"
Known sided but not in quart size
Used mostly to bottle artificial soda and
mineral waters. Was also used to bottle beer.
Glass only. Occurs on
5 bottles. |
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Champagne shape, circ: 1845-1910
Typical size: 11 x 3 1/2"
Not known in quart size or sided
Used to bottle cider and beer.
Glass & Pottery. Occurs on
16 bottles.
|
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Champagne beer shape, circ: 1875-1920
Typical size: 9 1/4 x 2 3/4"
Also in quart size and sided bottles
Used to bottle lager, champagne, and small beers, such as
root beer.
Glass only. Occurs on over 5,000 bottles. |
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Weiss beer shape, circ: 1867-1910
Typical size: 7 3/4 x 2 3/4"
Not known in quart size but come sided
Used to bottle weiss or white beer in usually very heavy
bottles.
Glass only.
Occurs on 473 bottles.
|
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Zaun weiss beer shape, circ: 1880-1910
Typical size: 7 1/2 x 2 5/8"
Not known in quart size or sided
Used to bottle weiss or white beer in usually very heavy
bottles.
Glass only.
Occurs on 74 bottles. |
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St. Louis weiss beer shape, circ: 1870-1915
Typical size: 2 3/8 x 9 1/2"
Not known in quart size or sided
Used to bottle weiss or white beer in usually very heavy
bottles.
Glass only.
Occurs on 87 bottles. |
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Early export beer shape, circ: 1855-1880
Typical size: 9 x 2 5/8"
Also in quart size but not sided
Used to bottle various beers typically for export. Form
was adopted for domestic use in some areas. There is a bulge
in the neck.
Glass only. Occurs on
137 bottles. |
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Malt Extract, circ: 1895-1915
Typical size: 6 3/4 x 2 1/4"
Not known in quart sizes or sided
Used to bottle various malt extracts. This form was
equally used by bottlers and brewers. There is a bulge
in the neck.
Glass only. Occurs on
54 bottles. |
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Late export beer shape, circ: 1880-1915
Typical size: 9 x 2 5/8"
Also in quart size but not sided
Used to bottle various beers typically for export. Form
was adopted for domestic use in some areas. There is a
bulge in the neck. Curves are gentler and the height
of the body is higher with a shorter neck than those on the
early export shape.
Glass only. Occurs on over 500 bottles. |
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Flavored beer shape, circ: 1850-1865
Typical size: 10 x 3 1/2" or 8 1/2 x 3 1/2"
Also in pint size and sided
Used to bottle various flavored beers such as root beer,
champagne beer, and Cronk's beer.
Glass only. Occurs on
34 bottles. |
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Mead shape, circ: 1835-1890
Typical size: 9 1/2 x 3 1/2"
Also in pint and half pint sizes but not sided
Used to bottle various small beers such as mead, spruce
beer, root beer, sarsaparilla and lemon beer.
Pottery only. Occurs on over 2,500 bottles. |
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Pottery weiss beer shape, circ: 1865-1880
Typical size: 7 1/2 x 3"
Not known in quart size nor sided
Used to bottle various beers typically for export. Form
was adopted for domestic use in some areas.
Pottery only.
Occurs on 280 bottles. |
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Cronk beer shape, circ: 1848-1875
Typical size: 9 x 3"
Also in pint sizes and usually sided
Used to bottle various small beers like mead, spruce
beer, root beer and lemon beer.
Pottery only.
Occurs on 233 bottles. |
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Champagne ginger beer shape, circ: 1880-1925
Typical size: 6 x 2 3/4"
Not known in quart size nor sided
Used to bottle various small beers such as ginger beer and
root beer.
Pottery only. Occurs on over 200 bottles. |
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Ginger beer shape, circ: 1890-1925
Typical size: 6 x 2 3/4"
Not known in quart size nor sided
Used to bottle various small beers such as ginger beer and
root beer.
Pottery & Glass. Occurs on over 300 bottles. |
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Seltzer shape, circ: 1845-1860
Typical size: 11 1/4 x 3 1/2"
Known in pint sizes but not sided
Used to bottle natural mineral waters, beer and gin.
Usually of Germanic in origin and reused in America.
Pottery only. Occurs on
2 bottles. |
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Fifth shape, circ: 1850-1860
Typical size: 11 x 3"
Not known in pint sizes nor sided
Rarely Used to bottle beer.
Glass only. Occurs on
3 bottles. |
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Salesman's sample shape, circ: 1895-1920
Typical size: 4 1/2 x 2 1/2"
Not known in pint sizes nor sided
Used to demonstrate how a stopper would operate.
Glass only. Occurs on
4 bottles. |
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Pottery cider shape, circ: 1845-1855
Typical size: 10 x 3 3/4"
Not known in pint sizes nor sided
Rarely used to bottle cider.
Pottery only. Occurs on
13 bottles. |
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London porter shape, circ: 1850-1875
Typical size: 7 3/4 x 2 5/8"
Not known in pint sizes nor sided
Rarely used to bottle porter.
Glass only. Occurs on
8 bottles.
|
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Canteen shape, circ: 1900-1905
Typical size: 11 x 10"
Not known in pint sizes nor sided
Rarely used to bottle beer.
Pottery only. Occurs on
1 bottle. |
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Lemon beer shape, circ: 1870-1890
Typical size: 10 x 3 1/4"
Not known in pint sizes nor sided
The glass vessel used to replace pottery mead and Cronk bottles
for the bottling of lemon, sarsaparilla, and Cronk beers.
Glass only. Occurs on
34 bottles. |
Click on the bottle drawing to see a picture.
