A Beginner's Guide to RI ACL Soda Bottles

Welcome!  This post is for anyone who is looking to learn more about ACL, or painted label soda bottles from RI.  I will start by giving a brief history on ACL (applied color label) soda bottles.
The first ACL soda bottle dates to 1934.  Someone had the bright idea of creating a label that would not wash off when a bottle was sterilized.  Paper labels were only good for one use because the bottle was cleaned when it was returned, and embossed bottles don't stand out as much as one with a colorful label.  The process involved applying a paste made of ground lead, borosilicate glass, and mineral pigments to a bottle that was still hot (ca. 1,100° Fahrenheit).  The process had to be repeated for each color, which made the process more expensive.  ACL bottles were slow to catch on in the 1930s, as only a few brands have ACL bottles from this decade.  However, by 1940 they were becoming popular, and by 1945 about half of the existing bottling companies were using ACL sodas.  They reached their heyday in the late 1940s through the 1960s.  With the introduction of the NDNR bottles, they slowly lost popularity.  However, one can still find ACL soda bottles on the market today.
On another note, one can be easily confused with similar terms such as "pyroglazed" (nicknamed pyro) labels.  This is what painted label milk bottles are called.  While the method of applying the label is virtually the same, for some reason the term "pyroglazed" won out.  If you dig for bottles, you will find that pyro milks generally do not survive as well as ACL sodas.  This is simply because most ACL sodas have a solid label, while pyro milks usually just have thin pyro lettering.  There are also ACL medicine bottles from the 1930s-50s.  These are collectible, but not nearly as popular as sodas and milks.

Rhode Island was on target with most states when it came to using ACL soda bottles.  The first plant to use them was the Deep Rock Co. in West Barrington, RI.  Made by the Owens Illinois Glass Co., these bottles have informative date codes on the bottom of the bottle.  The earliest one I have found dates to 1937.
These early bottles have single color labels (in this case red for clear bottles and yellow for green bottles).  The process had not yet been perfected, so the bottles found from this era often have faded or peeling labels.  The Deep Rock plant went on to bottle a number of different soda brands including Alka-Time, Dr. Swett's Root Beer, King Orange Soda,  and Xtra.  
Not far behind Deep Rock was the Ochee Spring Water Co. of Providence.  They bottled their own brand of soda, along with others like Canada Dry Spur and Ledge.

As an ACL collector, the subject of value will eventually come up.  Fortunately for collectors, most ACL soda bottles are quite cheap, and many can be had for $1-5.  There are valuable ones, such as the Shiloh ACL from Providence.  One sold for $240, but they normally sell for $100-150.
Condition is a major factor in the value of ACL bottles.  For example, a Shiloh bottle with a very faded label might only sell for $20.  Fading and discoloration can cut the value of a rare ACL bottle in half.  If it is a common ACL, then the value drops to $0.  If it is faded to the point where the colors are barely discernible, even rare ACLs will have little value.

Cleaning dug ACL bottles is a tricky business.  Most ACL bottles you dig will not clean up shiny and new.  Quite often they will look ok when you pull them out of a dump, but by the time you get home they may start to flake and peel.  Usually this is not preventable.  It does help to keep the dirty ACLs in a somewhat moist environment for a few days so they can "air out".  Once they are ready to be cleaned, you must be careful not to scrub the labels.  Often times I have used my finger or a soft sponge to gently wipe the dirt off the label.  Don't be frustrated, as it takes practice and luck.  Buried in the right conditions and soil types, ACL sodas can be dug in near mint condition.


Here is a list of the common RI ACL sodas you might come across that normally sell for $1-5.  Note that there are uncommon versions of some of these bottles that are worth more.

Coca-Cola
Empire Beverages
Hope Club Beverages
Manhattan Beverages
Nehi
Red Fox
Rose Beverages
Royal Crown
Squirt
Tru-Ade
Warwick Club
Yacht Club


The following RI ACL sodas normally sell for $5-20 (again, rare variants are exceptions)
Batchelors Beverages
Bridge Club
Brownie Club
Clover Club
Cott
Drink Me Pop
E.J. Dybala's Soda
Girard Spring Water
Lamberts Beverages
Liberty Club
Mission of California
Nugget
Ochee
Pepsi-Cola
7-Up
Simba
Spur
Virginia Dare
Wellington Club

The rest of the brands you might come across are fairly hard to find.  They might not necessarily be worth more than $20, as I don't have sale info on some of them.


I am one of three members of the Little Rhody Bottle Club currently working on a book for RI ACL sodas.  I suppose we are lucky to have such a small state, as it is already proving to be a challenge.  Below are a list of RI ACL soda bottles that have been reported, but no picture can be found.  If you have one of these, or know where one is, please contact me so I can properly record it.  A picture says a thousand words, so they are most appreciated!

Alaska Beverages- need picture of small (7-12oz) size (update, got pictures, need pics of a mint example)
Berry Spring- reported 3-color ACL, picture needed (update, acquired!)
Brooklawn- reported, need picture!
Canada Dry- need picture of one in good condition
Clover Club Ginger Ale- need picture of one in good condition (update, one variant acquired)
Deep Rock Beverages- need picture of quart size in good condition (update, got pictures!)
Hebe- reported, need picture (update, got pictures!)
Ma's Root Beer- need picture (update, acquired!)
Moose Head- need picture of green example in good condition
Newport Club Beverages- need picture of green example (update, acquired!)
Red Rock- confirmed, need picture (update, only pictures of 12oz size)
Star- need picture of 12oz. with red and white label (update, got pictures!)
Dr. Swett's Root Beer- need picture of one in good condition (update, got pictures!)
Town Club- need picture of clear example (update, got pics!)
Twin City- need picture of ginger ale
Virginia Dare- example from West Barrington reported, need picture!
Yacht Club- need picture of example with red and white ACL
Unknown soda from Graniteville, RI (Bare Rock Beverage Co.) which bottled Virginia Dare, shard found, need pics of an intact example!