A trip in to the Old Continental Bottle house 1966 State of the Art

[ethangsmith]

Those boxes weren't easy to get!

[dave ziegler]

Well on Sunday I got to walk around the Distillery and I got a couple of new Metal plant signs for my Kinsey Tribute Bathroom, Here is a shot of my Bathroom wall.

I well remember all these signs well as if working there was just yesterday. When I go there this time of year it is the most sureal time of all for me, as I walk I think back 43 years before to better days when the place was alive with much exciting activity. Rail cars and trucks being loaded with Old Hickory, Hallers County Fair, Inverhouse Scotch and Phila Blended and so many more brands now forgotten. Brands like Linfield Striaght Bourbon of which I have no bottle for my Collection. If anyone here ever finds an empty Linfield bourbon bottle let me know as it is the one Bottle I would love to have for my Bottle collection while I am still around enjoy it.

I wish everyone could have seen what the place was like back then, it was a great example of the greatest of American industry, as Publicker when Si Neuman took it over had 8 people working for the company. In the years I worked there 5,000 people worked for Publicker world Wide. Mr Neuman was one of the most dynamic People in the Industry and A briliant Man, with amazing ideas.

When Si S. Neuman died Kinsey/Continental Distilling / Publicker died.
Dave Z
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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory
America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

Well Christmas is almost here and my thoughts today go back to the Days I worked at Kinsey and the 1966 Continental Distilling bottle House. When it opened in mid Sept of 1966 it was the most modern and biggest Spirits Bottling house in the world. Eleven bottling lines, lines to repair leaking bottles and QC line to check all bottlings! As I have said many times the Building is 2 football fields Long and 3/4 of a Football field wide. It began its history as a one floor Bonded Warehouse and shipping area in 1951. In 1964 plans started for the bottling to move to Linfield from Bigler street and the Bottle House was Finished and ready to open in Sept 1966. I was lucky enough to be hired and see this amazing Bottle House Open, and I got my job because some people left the Yard gang to work in the bottle House!
Another First by Publicker in the bottling House was Line A-1-F which could do 40,000 Bottles a day and was driven by an early generation Tube Powered Computer. I know It used tubes as I found some new Old stock ones and used them in my Tube Preamp at home!

Sadly now it sits and rots its great history forgotten by many but I will always remember those exciting days of my youth when I got hired there at 19 yrs old. And most likely I will take a walk through Kinsey Christmas Afternoon as I have done many times!
Dave Z
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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory
America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

Have not been to Kinsey for weeks now and Hoping to go This weekend. Plan on taking some shots in the 1966 Bottling house to show what the Vandels have done. Most times I find something to save for History. But the Bottling house is really going down hill fast!
Dave Z
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It Seems All The Nicest people Drink Old Hickory
America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

I was at Kinsey this past Sunday Afternoon and went into what was the 1966 Bottling House to see water coming in from the roof anything the Vandels could trash they do. And the air is filled with Dust. I wear a Mask when I go there to not inhale Dust and also as I have Asthama too. I plan going there this weekend and want to get some new pictures inside there.
Dave Z
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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory
America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

Many, many years ago Ludy gave me a bottle of Old Hickory 10 yr 86 proof Bourbon, for years all that was left was one shot in the bottle tonight I lifted my glass to him with it as this year he will be 95 yrs old! I still have some of the wonderfull bottle of export 7 yr 86 proof old Hickory I was given for my 65 th birthday last year and once it is gone I do not think I will ever find any more. I am just thankful to the person who gave it to me last year when I asked on here! If anyone knows where I can get some more old Hickory let me know! Also please look at the 1966 Bottle house Thread as I have posted 3 new pictures!
Dave Z
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Kinsey The Unhurried Whiskey For Unhurried Moments

[dave ziegler]

Hoping before the weeds get to big to get back to Kinsey. Want to take a guy who worked in the Bottle House in to look around.
I was there two sundays ago for a walk but forgot my Camera. I am amazed how nature is slowly eating up the whole Place. The Bottling house is the newest building there and it is in the worse shap of any of them. When I go in I go back in my mind to the old days and all my long gone friends who worked in there. I hope to get myself going doing some more writting about the people who made Continental Distilling great!
Dave Z
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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory
America's Most Magnificent Bourbon

[dave ziegler]

Yesterday I took a friend and his wife into the Bottling house. He had worked there as a young man and explained alot of things to me. It seems the big area in section A after the incoming tank area was filled back then with brand new cases to be bottled at all times. He explained there was a small line on the bottom where he would lay the bottles it would then line them up going through the bottom of wall. He would then put the empty Box on the top belt and the two would meet at the end where the Machine would lower the full labeled bottles back into the case it would then come up on the line and travel out the last wall to shipping! The Line did everything which was unheard of back in 1966. It cleaned filled capped, put the Tax strip on over the cap and labeled and was repacked at the end of the line automaticly. When the Bottle House Opened in Sept 1966 it was the largest and most modern Bottling House in the world.
It is very hard having worked there to see such ruin there now. As a young man I could never have thought that could happen.
I will post some New pictures this week I took yesterday and the week before.
Dave Z
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It Seems All The Nicest People Drink Old Hickory
America's Most Magnificent Bourbon