Cincinnati Bitters Spotting

A cross reference of directories

02 September 2013 | Ferdinand Meyer V

Here on this Labor Day, I have laboriously gone through the William’s Cincinnati Directories, and a few others prior to Williams, to cross-check the bitters listings. You can learn a lot from doing this such as advertising trends, population growth, occupations (I think every 5th person was a cigar-maker) and about bitters brand introduction, growth and demise (sometimes all in one year). Please keep in mind, this list does not include listings for say, Morning Call Bitters by the Mills Bro Co. because a listing using the word ‘Bitters’ never occurred in a directory.

There are some unlisted brands here so I have noted below for cataloging purposes and for you diggers and pickers. Please go find an example!

New Bitters Finds (see more information in body of post):

Superior Wine Bitters, by Israel Wilson, 1836-7

Holland Bitters, Henry VanDyke, 1858

Richardson’s Sherry Wine Bitters, J. N. Harris & Co., 1861-1868

Kempfer’s Stomach Bitters, 1870 (listed at Kempfer’s Bitters much earlier)

Kaufman’s Stomach Bitters (also Kaufman’s Anti-Cholera Bitters), 1869 & 1870

Alaska Bitters, S. Kaufman & Co., 1871 (this does not appear to be the C88.7 Kendallville, Indiana variant by G. H. Lohman)

Catawba Bitters, PH Zimmermann, 1877 (This does not appear to be the Catawba Bitters from St. Louis). Recent Meyer addition.

Monarch Stomach Bitters, Brodie Williams & Co., 1879 – 1882 (does not appear to be M 119.2 (Buffalo) or M 119.3 (Milwaukee).

Fletcher’s Bitters and Ginger Tonic, Wm J. Klein & Co. 1885 (Do not believe this is F 55 L in BBS2)

Home Rules Bitters Co., 1890, 1891, 1892

Paradise Bitters, Fred W. Diederichs, 1892, 1893 (Does not appear to be P 19.5 in Bitters Bottles)

Unlisted Superior Wine Bitters on sale by Israel Wilson – 1836-7 Cincinnati Directory Advertiser

Dr. J. Hostetters Celebrated Stomach Bitters – 1855 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Read: Some Early Hostetter’s Stomach Bitters Shards Dug by Chris Rowell

Kempfer’s Bitters listing (see below) – 1868 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

A. Kempfer, stomach bitters, 403 W. 8th, 1857, 1858, 1861, 1865, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874 (adds Leopold Meyer in 1865), Kempfer’s A. Sons (see above) (Leopold Myer (sp) & George A. Bidenharn) Manufacturer of Kempfer’s Bitters. Referred to as Kempfer’s Stomach Bitters (unlisted) in 1870 listing. Williams Cincinnati Directory

John Lee, agnt. Hostetters bitters, 44 W. Row, 1857 Williams Cincinnati Directory

Herman Snyder, bitters seller, 602 W. Row, 1857 Williams Cincinnati Directory

Henry VanDyke, agent Holland Bitters (possibly listed in Supplement 2 from Milwaukee), 113 W. Canal, 1858 Williams Cincinnati Directory

Charles Frank & Co., (L. Meyer), bitters manufs., 141 W. Pearl, 1860 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Fred Heyker, bitters manuf., 86 Clinton, 1860 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

J. N. Harris & Co., listing for Richardson’s Sherry Wine Bitters – 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1868 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory *It is questionable that this is either R 57 (S. O. Richardson) or R 58 (W. L. Richardson)

Theodore M. Heyker, manuf. stomach bitters, 355 Cutter, 1861 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

John Szotzski, manufac. of bitters, s.s. Liberty b. Clay & Main, 1862, 1863, 1864 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Listing for Charles W. Roback, Manufacturer of Stomach Bitters (barrel) – 1863 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

F. & M. Heyker (Frederick H. & Mathias H.), stomach bitters, 142 Linn, 1864, 1865 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Graham & Co., J. D. G. & Peter Bohl, Manufacturers of Blood Syrup and Bitters, 137 Sycamore, 1865 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

M. H. Lewis, Importer and Dealer, also our own Bitters – 1865, 1867 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory (unknown what ‘our own’ biters is)

Advertisement for Hoffheimer Brothers Celebrated Bavarian Bitters – 1866, 1867, 1868 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Read: Bavarian Bitters – Two Examples worth Comparing

This advertisement for Hoffheimer Brothers Celebrated Bavarian Bitters has more prominence than the advertisement above – 1869, (1870 sim) Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

E. B. Cuyler & Co., (E. B. C. & Geo. Koker), bitters, 1 water, 1868 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

S. Kaufman & Co. Manufacturers and Sole Proprietors of the Anti-Cholera Bitters (unlisted or is this the Kaufman’s Stomach Bitters) – 1869, 1870 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

J. A. Sangston & Co., Brady’s bitters, (J. A. S. & D. C. Brady) 16 E. 2nd, 1870, 1871 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Brady’s Bitters, 16 E. 2nd, J. A. Sangston, Agent, 1872 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Read: Brady’s Family Bitters – “Every Body Takes It!”

Advertisement for U.S. Proprietary Medicine Co. and Celebrated Roback’s Stomach Bitters (barrel) – 1870 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory (see initial 1863 listing above)

Read: Barrel Series – Roback’s Stomach Bitters (the smaller ones)

Read: Barrel Series – Roback’s Stomach Bitters (the big boys)

Alaska Bitters advertisement with S. Kaufman & Co. – 1871 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory (see 1869 & 1870 Kaufman ad above for Anti-Cholera Bitters)

W. B. Wood, Bitters Manufacturer, Wood’s Bitters, 1515 Montgomery, 1872 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory (possibly referring to W 153 Woods Tonic Wine Bitter in Bitters Bottles)

Bitters, Geo. Stricker, 31 Vine, 1872 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory, Stricker & Nathan, 62 Main, 1879 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Philip Wolf & Co., Principal Depot for Dr. Henley’s California IXL Bitters – 1874 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Read: Dr. Henley’s Wild Grape Root IXL Bitters ‘Showdown’

Wm A. Meyer, stomach bitters, 403 W. 8th, (also manuf. of bitters). Works with Kempfer’s Bitters 1875, 1876 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Bitters, B. Ahrnghaus, 331 W. 5th, 1875 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Bitters, Strickland & Co., 311 Vine, 1876 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Wm. Fuller & Co. ‘And Manufacturers of all kinds of Stomach and Cocktail Bitters‘ – 1876 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

PH Zimmermann, manufacturer of Catawba Bitters – 1877 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Bitters, Duby Green, 306 W. 5th, 1877 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Bitters, Leopold Meyer (also Otto G. Meyer), 403 W. 8th., 1877, 1878 (Manufacturer of Kempfer’s Bitters) Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Brodie Williams & Co., (Harry W. & Orrick J. Halstead) (Geo T. Bach, 1882) Manufacturers Monarch Stomach Bitters – 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory (see advertisement below)

Monarch Stomach Bitters advertisement – 1882 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Bitters, Solomon Schertz, 133 W. Court, 1880 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Strauss, Son & Co., (Seligman S., Louis C. S. and Fred D. Strauss), Distillers, Fruit Brandies, Cordials, Bitters & c, 236 Walnut and 33 W. 6th, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886,  1887 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

John Hess, bitters manuf. 86 W. Court, 1884, 1885 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Tonquin Bitters Co., (The), 169 Plum, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory (probably T 48 in Bitters Bottles, if so, listing update required in BBS2)

H. Grossman & Co., Sole Agents for St. Jacob’s Bitters – 1885 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Read: Saint Jacob’s Bitters – Cincinnati, Ohio

Wm J. Klein & Co., Sole Agents for Fletcher’s Bitters and Ginger Tonic – 1885 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Charles Smith, agent, Albert Harris, Bus. mgr, Ferd. Schulze, agent Dr. Smith’s Colombo Bitters, 289 Vine, 1889 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory (looks like S 123 L in Bitters Bottles) (*could be related to S 128 in BBS)

The Hoffheimer Distilling Co., Sole Proprietors and Manufacturers Hoffheimer’s Sasafras Herb Bitters (and Tonic) (2 listings w/Tonic same year) – 1890, 1891 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory (see Hoffheimer Bros 1870, above) (H 133 in Bitters Bottles)

Home Rules Bitters Co., whol. liquors, 10 E. 2nd., 1890, 1891, 1892 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Fred W. Diederichs, bitters manuf., Paradise Bitters,  (1892, 1893) manfr. Paradise Bitters (1894), 507 Race 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory

Boyer’s Sure Cure Bitters Co., Boyer’s Sure Cure Bitters (1894) (Chas. Boyer, propr.) (H.C. Gary, mgr.), 92 E. 2nd. (and 3rd listed) (4!8 E. 2nd 1895), 1893, 1894, 1895 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory (Refer B 184 and B 185 in Bitters Bottles) (See Boyer’s B 184 from Meyer Collection)

Schroeder’s Cocktail Bitters Co., 213 Sycamore, 1895 Williams’ Cincinnati Directory