XVI 



(j/c 



ass 



BOTTLES 



KoLND BEVERAGE BO ITLES. — Botllcs of dark-grccn 

 i^lass were used in the colonial period for wine, beer, 

 riini, and other potables. Although sonic wines and 

 liquors were shipped in the bottle, they were distrib- 

 uted for the most part in casks, hogsheads, and 

 "pipes" before 1750. John Mercer recorded the 

 purchases of several pipes of wine kinds unspecified 

 a pipe being a large or even double-size hogshead. 

 He purchased rum by the gallon, in quantities that 

 ranged from 2 quarts in 1744 to "5 galls Barbadocs 

 Spirits' in 1745 and a "hhd 107J^ gall Rum" in 1748. 



Bottles were used largely for household storage and 

 for the serving of liquors. They were kept filled in the 

 buttery as a convenience against going to the cellar 

 each time a drink was wanted. Bottles usually were 

 brought directly to the table,"™ although the clear- 

 glass decanter was apparently regarded as a niorc 

 genteel dispenser. .Mercer, like his contemporaries, 

 bought his own bottles, as when he purchased "2 doz 

 Ixjttles" from John Foward in 1 730. The previous 

 year he had acquired a gross of corks, which would 

 Custon\arily have been inserted in his Ixjttles and 

 secured by covering with cloth, t>ing around the lips 

 or string rini;s with packthread, and sealing with 

 warm resin and pitch. 



Some wines were purchased in the lx)ttle. In 1726 

 .Mercer bought "2 doz & 8 Ixntles (Claret" and " I doz 

 Clanary" from .Mexander Mcl'arlane. In 174,'> he 

 charged Ovcr%%harton Parish for "2 Ixjltlrs Claret 

 to.\cquia, "apparently forcommii' "' ' 't 



all this was ship|u-(i from the ■. -. 



or whether Mercer brought his own bottles to l)c fillrtl 

 from the storekeepers' ca.sks is not rc\-calcd. 



An insight into the kinds of alcoholic dri ' 

 in \'irginia in Mercer's early period ; 

 oflicial price-list for the sale of alcoholic l>r\ ^ 

 forth in the York County- Court Orders in 1 ;-"; 



riiisCouit do S<-lt tlir R.itr I.iiiinirs .i\ fntlnwrili 



I.i(|Uors l.jch dirt 

 R.iird IxKlging for each person 



Stable Room & Fodder 



for ' ' ! >c p' night 

 Eai : »m 



Wine ol \ it)j* produce 



p Quart % 



French Brandy p Qu.irt I 



Sherry & Canar>' Wine 



p Quart 

 Red & V II p' 



Qtiart .- 1 



Madera Wine p Quart 



p Quart 

 Rum & N'irg* Brandy 

 p' Quart 



Ru. 



(,i 



\> 

 \i. 



,s 



Fine IajuIcJ S\dci jj' 



Qti.ir' 

 B(i 

 .\ri... » r ■- 



"» I,ADV SUKEI All RuOOLfS-BKISK. Sr.iir.l BollUs (I 

 Countr>- Ufr, I,td ; NVw ^'ork, Ch.irlrj S.ril'-^- "^ ■• 

 p. I«. 



Diny eouri' 



Otilni it Wttb 17 :< 

 ' tmm, V«. \ no. 1 4, p 



I4'> 



