I did a post earlier today in response to Matthew Tigue Levant, over on facebooks Antique Bottles for Sale page, posting that he is “looking for any med, bitters, cure bottles with the word “Mountain” embossed in the glass”.

“looking for any med, bitters, cure bottles with the word “Mountain” embossed in the glass”

That made me pause and think a moment about my Bitters collection. The Dr. Black’s Rocky Mountain Biters, Blue Mountain Bitters, Sharp’s Mountain Herb Bitters and Mountain Root and Herb Bitters came quickly to mind. I suspect that there are others so when I reunite with my collection at home I will look.

So this morning I responded with a post on DR. BLACK’S ROCKY MOUNTAIN BITTERS – XR Square. Jeff Noordsy (see Jeff and Holly Noordsy) sent a comment attached to the post (I love when this happens) and said “Can’t forget one of my favorites, the elusive “Ulmer’s Mountain Ash Bitters.” Pontil as well!

“Can’t forget one of my favorites, the elusive “Ulmer’s Mountain Ash Bitters.”

Well. Jeff is right. I did forget. And guess what. I have a great example of this extremely rare, gorgeous, oddball, medicine styled aqua Bitters. As with many older Bitters example, I can not tell you much more than what is listed in Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham’s Bitters Bottle book which is as follows. We will have to wait until some advertising and/or a labeled example surfaces.

U 2  ULMER’S MOUNTAIN ASH BITTERS, Circa 1840 – 1860,

ULMER’S ( au ) / MOUNTAIN / ASH / BITTERS // REMEDY // c // NEW GERMAN //
7 1/2 x 3 3/8 x 2 (5)
Rectangular oval, Aqua, LTC, Applied mouth, Rough pontil mark, Extremely rare
Unusual for a rectangular bottle to have two curved sides.

I did look up ‘Mountain Ash’ and found the following:

Mountain Ash is a name used for several trees, none of immediate relation.

It may refer to Eucalyptus regnans, the tallest of all flowering plants and other floral species, Fraxinus texensis, an ash tree species in Texas. Trees in the genus Sorbus in North America (mainly U.S.), which are often styled as mountain-ashes to convey their unrelatedness to true ashes.

Mountain Ash (Welsh: Aberpennar) also is a town and community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, deep in the South Wales Valleys of Wales. Mountain Ash is situated in the Cynon Valley and has a population of 7,039. Mountain Ash lies within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan.

Possibly dead ends here or maybe not. I’ll keep looking and keep my ears open.

ULMER'S MOUNTAIN ASH BITTERS REMEDY - Meyer Collection

ULMER'S MOUNTAIN ASH BITTERS REMEDY - Meyer Collection