Small stoneware Ginger Beer bottle made by Phibbs Bros. Tallangatta & Albury.Cream and brown glazed stoneware bottlephibbs bros, ginger beer, tallangatta, albury, stoneware bottles

Soft drink came in bottles bought at the local grocery store or at a large city store on a shopping expedition. The shape of the bottles changed as did the stopper used to seal it. Bottles were re-cycled remaining the property of the manufacturer. History of Phibbs Bros., Albury.Historical: Change of bottles - shape, glass, stopper, embossing, use. Aesthetic: Display showing embossing, shape and size.Small clear glass bottle with heavy embossing. The straight sides go half way up then taper to the opening. The manufacturer's name is written diagonally across one side with 'Albury' printed in capital letters underneath. On the same side three lines of words are printed in capital letters. The base has light embossing.Side: 'Phibbs Bros / Albury' Side around the bottom: 'This Bottle / Is the Property of / Phibbs Bros Albury'bottle, ginger beer, soft drink, phibbs bros albury, drink, household

This glass ginger beer bottle was manufactured and used early to late 1900's, until the time that cheaper containers were invented(plastic bottles). This bottle was so constructed to be easily moved within the ginger beer processing plants from the brewing vats/holding tanks to the final corking/sealing of the bottles for eventual distribution. From 1990s the bottle slowly became phased out of production however boutique suppliers still preferred thick glass to contain any explosive action. Two major glass bottle works companies, e.g. Australian Glass Manufacturers and the Melbourne Glass Bottle Works Co. were the main suppliers for the Victorian State.In the period when this bottle was manufactured and used the major ginger beer brewing plants for the whole of Victoria were located in Melbourne because this was where its greatest consumer base was there and most rural areas were supplied by domestic sources (mother brewing ginger beer for the children). The Kiewa Valley and its region was one rural area which until road invrastructure was enhance covered the ginger beer thirst by local family production. As the population expanded considerably in the late 1940's (SECV Hydro Scheme) with a greater demand for "soft" drinks" being established supplies from larger towns and cities were call for. Each bottle was "branded" during manufacturing to show the contents were from a reputable supplier (PHIBBS Bros) and where it originated from. These bottles were recycled by the manufacturer as a way to cut production costs. This method of recycling the bottles back to the specific manufacturer has (except for South Australia)been overtaken by a no cost recycling collection by councils (funded by their communities). This method by passes the user cost principle as the bottles are processed as non generic. The uneconomical "on cost" which was replaced by the "throw away" less costly plastic containers however did not provide the keen domestic brewer of the "beer" with a reusable bottle.This heavy gauged glass bottle (Ginger Beer) has a rim and a distinctive head at the top. This head has been manufactured to facilitate the movement of the bottled along the production line. The method of pouring ginger beer into the bottle has been part of the "production line" process of automation. This bottle has a capacity to hold 250ml of ginger beer and is made from "clear" glass. The marority of ginger beer bottles produced in this time frame where made with a "green" tint in them.This tinting helped reduce the sunlight effecting the contentsAround the bottom side of the bottle and blown into the glass is "THIS BOTTLE IS THE PROPERTY OF PHIBBS BROS, ALBURY" above this, in "running script" and sloping up from left to right is "Phibbs Bros" and underneath parallel to it "ALBURY". On the base of the bottle is molded a big "L 289" underneath this "M" and below this "AGM".ginger beer bottle, soft drink bottles, cordial bottles