The 2008 Western Bitters Survey

About a year ago, three western glass collectors decided to set about the task of compiling the opinions of antique bottle collectors on their ranking of embossed western distributed and western manufactured bitters bottles. This task would be made more daunting by the fact that there were approximately 100 variants known, and how to keep the prospective survey taker interested in completing this time consuming ordeal. As it was the survey comprised of five pages and certainly could have been more, with additions like color, size, and mold variations.

Our goal was to weigh each bottle against the other, using factors that antique bottle collectors strive for; such as age, color, shape, glass characteristics, lettering style, interesting name, etc. We made a relatively complete comprehensive listing of known bottles, including a place for listing a candidate not included on the list. We also wanted the bottle collector to rank the bottle by their criteria of importance, whatever that may mean to them. We were able to present 94 bitters in their ranking of importance, we were able to show the importance of the ranking position in relation to each other by the collector, and we were able to show the average ranked position each bottle held to each other. This gave us a good indication as to which bottles appeal to collectors and where they stood in relation to each other. There is no monetary ranking, but from this data, it can be extrapolated as to which bottles in a direct comparison to each other appeal more favorably to the collector over any other one.

Over 220 surveys were handed out at western bottle shows and mailed to collectors.
Of those 220 surveys 65 were returned to be tabulated.

Here then are the results:

1. CASSIN'S GRAPE BRANDY BITTERS

2. CALIFORNIA BITTERS MANUFACTURED ONLY BY J.G. FRISCH SAN FRANCISCO

3. DR. WONSER'S U.S.A. INDIAN ROOT BITTERS (cylinder)

4. BRYANT'S STOMACH BITTERS (cone style)

5. LACOUR'S SARSAPARIPHERE BITTERS

6. CALIFORNIA WINE BITTERS M. KELLER LOS ANGELES

7. G.A. SIMON'S MEDICATED AROMATIC BITTERS

8. CHALMER'S CATAWBA WINE BITTERS SPRUANCE STANLEY & CO.

9. DR. MILLER'S RATAFIA DAMIANA SIEBE BROS. & PLAGEMANN S.F.

10. CATAWBA WINE BITTERS

11. ALEX VON HUMBOLDTs STOMACH BITTERS

12. ROSENBAUMS BITTERS N.B. JACOBS & Co SAN FRANCISCO (small western variant)

13. DR. BOERHAAVE'S STOMACH BITTERS

14. ROSENBAUMS BITTERS N. B. JACOBS & Co SAN FRANCISCO (large eastern variant)

15. E.G. LYONS & CO MANUFACTURERS SANFco

16. E. WIDEMAN & J. CHAPPAZ ( Alpine Stomach Bitters)

17. V. SQUARZA (anti-dyspeptic or hygienic bitters)

18. DR. HENLEY'S EYE OPENER

19. WORMSER BROS'. SAN FRANCISCO

20. DR. HAUSEMAN'S GERMAN BITTERS (flask)