Mack’s Orange Tonic Bitters • A sweet bitters from Orlando
11 February 2014 (R•021314 with 1875 & 1887 advertisements) (R•021414 with Isaac Irvine Hite)
Where else can you find a gorgeous form for a bitters bottles, a magnificent ‘fruit crate style’ label and a no-nonsense name like Mack’s Orange Tonic Bitters? Of course, sunny, Orange County, Orlando. This sounds like a Florida tourism commercial. About the only thing that this bottle does not have going for it is Mickey Mouse ears!
The Carlyn Ring and W. C. Ham listing in Bitters Bottles is as follows:
M 3 MACK’S ORANGE TONIC BITTERS
MACK’S ORANGE TONIC / BITTERS // c // // b // CITRUS / EXTRACT / CO ( )
8 3/4 x 2 3/4 (5)
Round, Amber, NSC, Tooled lip, Rare
Prepared only by The Citrus Extract Co. Orlando, Orange County, Florida
Label: For dyspepsia or weak digestion, biliousness, general debility, weakness, nervous prostration and all conditions of the system requiring the aid of a tonic. It is also recommended for contracting the effects of alcoholism – Dose: A small wineglassful one half hour before meals. This effective tonic is prepared purely vegetable remedies, combined with the valuable properties of the orange according to a regular prescription, and is endorsed by physicians.
A small wineglassful one half hour before meals. This effective tonic is prepared purely vegetable remedies, combined with the valuable properties of the orange according to a regular prescription, and is endorsed by physicians.
We are not going to get much further than here on this post as I can not find any information on the brand including advertising, Mr. Mack and The Citrus Extract Company. Oh, its hiding somewhere …but where?
[13 February 2014] New information coming in from Corey Stock in the form of two advertisements that are posted below. It looks like this brand dates back to at least 1874 and Issac Irvine Hite who was a druggist in Mellonville, Orange County, Florida. He is listed as O 71 in Bitters Bottles with Trade Mark No. 1765, dated April, 1874. I would presume that P. Mack took over the brand. More to come, I am sure.
It looks like Orange Bitters dates back to at least 1875 and Isaac Irvine Hite who was a druggist in Mellonville, Orange County, Florida – Florida Agriculturist, Jacksonville, Florida, September 25, 1875.
Wine for Sale at my Bowling Alley on Church St., near the Depot
P. Mack, Orange Wine Manufacturer advertisement (submitted by Corey Stock) – 1887 Orlando Florida city directory
Mosquito County was renamed Orange County in 1845 when Florida became a state.
Orange County is a county located in Florida. It is the center of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Orlando. The land that is Orange County was part of the first land to emerge from below the Early Oligocene sea 33.9–28.4 million years ago and is known as Orange Island. Orange County’s Rock Spring location is a Pleistocene fossil bearing area and has yielded a vast variety of birds and mammals including giant sloth; mammoth; camel; and the Dire Wolf dating around 1.1 million years ago.
In 1821, there were two counties that formed Florida: Escambia to the west and St. Johns to the east. In 1824, the area to the south of St. Johns County became Mosquito County, and Enterprise was named the county seat. This massive county took up much of central Florida. Mosquito County was renamed Orange County in 1845 when Florida became a state. Several counties, such as Osceola, Seminole, Lake, and Volusia were carved out of Orange County. Orange County was renamed from Mosquito County for the fruit that constituted the county’s main product. [Wikipedia]
California Aromatic Orange Bitters – San Francisco
Fine Aromatic Orange Stomach Bitters – Berry, Demoville & Co. – Nashville
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