- Old Mr. Boston
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Old Mr. Boston was a distillery located at 1010 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts from 1933 to 1986. It produced its own label of gin, bourbon, rum, and brandies, as well as a few cordials and liqueurs.
1935 first edition of Old Mr. Boston guide, showing trademark logo, the fictional "Mr. Bostic". The book has been in print for more than 65 years.
Contents
History
The distillery was founded in the Roxbury, Massachusetts neighborhood of Boston in 1933 by Irwin "Red" Benjamin and Hyman C. Berkowitz. Old Mister Boston was known for its collectible bottles such as the 1953 Presidential Inaugural Bottle.
Over time, through a series of changes of ownership, the words "Old" and "Mr." were dropped from the name until it was known simply as "Boston."[1] The distillery was a major employer in the Boston area from the 1930s until its closing circa 1986 when the parent company, Glenmore Distillers, shut down operations and the brand vanished. The building that housed Old Mr. Boston's operations is now owned by the City of Boston and is in use appropriately as a City Inspectional Services headquarters.
Famous "bartender's guide"
The "Mr. Boston" name is known not only for its brands of distilled spirits, but also for its unique reference book, The Old Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide, used by both professional and home bartenders as the "Bible of Booze." The Guide was first published 1935 (some sources state 1931[2]), the early days after the Repeal of Prohibition, when the distillery started up business again. As late as 2003 new editions were printed.[1]
1995 acquisition
The Barton Brands liquor unit of New York's Canandaigua Wine Co. (now Constellation Brands) acquired the brand name in 1995 and resumed production. Barton uses the brand for a line of liqueurs and cordials.[1] In 2009 Constellation Spirits, including the Mr. Boston brand, was sold to the Sazerac Company of New Orleans,[3] who have subsequently released light and dark rums imported from the U.S. Virgin Islands under the Mr. Boston name.
Famous Old Mr. Boston Brands
- The Spot Bottle
- Rock & Rye
- Mint & Gin
- Bottled In Bond (100 proof)
References
- ^ a b c Joshua Glenn (December 28, 2003). "Looking for Mr. Boston". Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2003/12/28/looking_for_mr_boston/. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
- ^ Chanticleer Society Worldwide Organization of Cocktail Enthusiasts
- ^ Keith Lawrence (May 1, 2009). "Sazerac expanding bottling plant". Messenger-Enquirer, Owensboro, Kentucky. http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-heads-state/12431315-1.html. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
External links
Categories:- Whiskies of the United States
- Companies disestablished in 1986
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