Tough Stuff

In the world of miniature beer bottle collecting, it isn’t hard to pick up a Blatz, Schlitz or Pabst Blue Ribbon for your collection. Just do a quick search on ebay and you’ll know what I’m talking about. After you have been collecting these things for a while, it is not too hard to create a rather nice collection consisting of some moderately hard to find bottles such as Crystal Rock, Red Ribbon, Tip Top, Fehr’s, Manhattan, and many others. Once you have these bottles you’ll probably find yourself lusting for more! At that point, prepare to break out your checkbook, as the next level of toughies will tax your bank account. That assumes you will even have the chance to purchase one of these rarities!


Enter the elusive Manru Lager. This beauty is super tough and some consider it the pinnacle of the hobby. It is known to exist in all three common sizes of 4 ¼”, 4”, and 3”. Here we have the 3” version, affectionately known as a “stubby.” Manru Lager was brewed by the Schreiber Brewing Company of Buffalo, New York.





Our next toughie is a one-of-a-kind. Well, at least only one is known to exist at this point. Submitted for your approval is the Wholesome Beer, perhaps one of the most interesting mini beers to have surfaced in a long time. First, the label is decal, which makes it very hard to fake. Notice the size. This bottle stands an unusual 2 12” tall. After some rather extensive research, the verdict is this was a prototype bottle used to pitch the concept of putting your brand on a miniature bottle. The glass is Owens Illinois, much like many mini beers such as Ambrosia, Nectar, and Frederick’s 4-Crown (a very tough bottle in its own right). In fact, the color scheme of the Wholesome Beer is the same as the aforementioned minis. Next, the Internal Revenue Tax Paid statement dates the bottle somewhere between 1935 and 1940. The funny thing about this bottle is the Wholesome Brewing Company never existed. However, the unknown maker of this bottle went to great pains to get the content, alcohol percentage and IRTP statement accurate.

So, when you find yourself searching an antique store or more likely ebay, keep your eyes peeled for the tough stuff like these gems!