Please tell me you’ve visited a farm in Oklahoma.

Or that you know someone from Oklahoma.

Or that your uncle’s girlfriend’s father-in-law’s next door neighbor’s sister’s husband visited there once and brought back a glass bottle.

(edited to add:  Whitney told me that the girlfriend couldn’t have a father-in-law because she wasn’t married to the uncle yet.  Please adjust to read your uncle’s girlfriend’s father’s next door neighbor’s sister’s husband).

Like this one.

Have you ever seen anything like it?

I love it.

I’m all about it.

I’m using it for my summer centerpiece.

But I have no idea what it is.

 

 

Last weekend my husband brought this back from his grandmother’s house.

They were having a yard sale there and we were having a yard sale here.  Just between us—there is nothing better than sitting at a yard sale selling stuff and shopping at another yard sale in Oklahoma shopping via Facetime to find more stuff to fill up your house.

As he panned the crowd and the sale and the garage with his phone—I saw it.  Sitting on a table looking a little forlorn and unappreciated was this glass bottle.

It had sat there for two days.

No one else was really interested in it…..

…..and that makes me a little garage sale nervous.

The top side has raised letters that read one gallon.

But one gallon of what?

Syrup?

Water?

Tea?

There’s a handle where someone from Oklahoma poured out whatever was in here.

And there are rings at the top that show that it used to have a lid.

Those are all the clues I have.

It was dirty inside.

So I rinsed it out and soaked it with vinegar and let it sit and then wiped it all down with Dawn dish soap to get off the grease.

And then?

And then I filled it with fresh cuttings from the yard.

A simple summer centerpiece.

Waiting there.

Looking all cute with its glassness and its greenery and its cute little top that’s grinning at me.

I know it has a story to tell.

Let me know if you can fill in any of the chapters.

PS  I just had to share my find.  I didn’t want to keep it bottled up.

hee hee.

 

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Comments

  1. Image for Beatrice Beatrice

    My father bought red wine in a bottle of that size. I’m going back at least 30-40 years ago. It was Gallo red table wine. He kept it on the floor in the kitchen. He would allot himself one glass at dinner almost every night.

  2. Image for Karen Karen

    It was for vinegar! I used to keep a bouquet of wheat in one on my dresser when I was a teenager. Looks nice on your table.

  3. Image for Jam Swisher Jam Swisher

    When I was a little girl, my dad referred to those as kerosene jugs. I grew up in TN, and although I never remember that we bought one of these filled with kerosene, I would guess that his parents did. He was born in 1927.

    1. Image for Sue Sue

      Kerosene was usually put into a container one took to the supplier (gas station, country store, etc.). So you may have had kerosene in one. It is illegal to sell kerosene in a glass container now because of danger of injury if ignited and exploded.

  4. Image for Susan Susan

    I think it was a cider bottle. We often bought cider in bottle just like that (in Minnesota). But who knows, maybe someone was visiting from Minnesota!

    1. Image for Lisa Zahn Lisa Zahn

      I'm also from/in Minnesota and it looks like the jars we bought apple cider in not too many years ago. It's definitely not THAT old! Now everything's in plastic, but that's happened maybe in the last ten-15 years only.

  5. Image for Linda Linda

    It looks like an A&W root beer bottle. Here in Minnesota we used to buy these refillable bottles at our local A&W drive in's. Maybe they were standard bottles for many things??

  6. Image for Christine Christine

    It may be a Hazel Atlas bottle. Could you tell if the cap was a screw on? It might be fun to investigate.

  7. Image for Regina Merrick Regina Merrick

    We've found some jugs similar to that in our outbuilding, and they had labels on them - they were Coca-Cola syrup jugs! They even had the recipe for how much syrup to mix with carbonated water! It might be a cider or vinegar jug, but it might just be a syrup jug. Super-cute styling!

  8. Image for Mary Mary

    Yes it's a vinegar bottle and I laughed also that you cleaned it with that! As a kid, before we had a well, we used to have a bunch of them to bring water from a neighbours outdoor hand pump at our summer cottage here in Canada. They are heavy when full! We had a few brown ones also, the colour of overly steeped tea. Sadly they are all gone now, though my cousin next door (we are now living on the family property, kind of like you) just threw out a broken brown one stashed in their boathouse. It brought back memories as did your post. Pretty photo!

    1. Image for Ann C Ann C

      I am agreeing with everyone: vinegar, cider and root beer came in them. Before all this plastic! And to Mary in Canada, they still make the brown glass jugs. We have a local brewery here that bottles their beer in 1/2 gallon brown jugs. They are called jugs now but I think were just bottles back in the day...glad to see stuff used rather than put in a landfill.

  9. Image for Donna Donna

    My first thought was cider bottle. I remember having cider out of those big gallon jugs when I was a little kid in St. Louis.

  10. Image for Sheila Sheila

    I'm from Oklahoma and I've seen these at my Granny's house. She canned a lot back in the day and vinegar came in these glass one gallon jugs.

    1. Image for Anna Anna

      I’m going along with your response. My mom, who is now 100, used to do a lot of canning and pickling at the end of every summer ( in upstate New York). I remember those bottles and I’m pretty sure hers started out full of vinegar.

  11. Image for Tylynn Tylynn

    Oh my goodness, I just found a jar EXACTLY like that the other day at the thrift store! Great minds think alike ;) I had no idea what it was, but I brought it home with me to use as a centerpiece 😂 from the comments, it sounds like it's an old vinegar jar ... So cool! The kitchen is currently under construction though so I haven't had a chance to use it yet ... It looks beautiful on your table!

  12. Image for Denise Denise

    A vinegar jar was the first thing that came to mind. I feel like I've seen apple cider in them before too. Great find!!

  13. Image for Jeannie Jeannie

    I ❤️every single thing in the picture! I definitely have room envy but also inspiration. I would have automatically guessed whiskey or moonshine jug but only guessing. I would love to know your wall color. It’s so pretty 😍

  14. Image for Barbara Ann Sandoval Barbara Ann Sandoval

    Man I don't know what was in it before , but it looks beautiful now. Just proves the point, a anothers trash is someone else's treasure,, someone with vision like you. I bet it's thick glass!

  15. Image for Saysee Rizental Saysee Rizental

    When I was a kid (not that long ago - okay who am i kidding) my dad would buy milk in a glass jar like that. We lived in Texas and I would have thought someone else would mention that too. I must be wrong.

    1. Image for Jolyn Jolyn

      YES! Milk was delivered to your door in these glass jugs. I remember going home with a kid during my recess break to put the milk in when it was milk delivery day. We bought ours at the store, but they still had it delivered. I'll never forget those bottles. They were heavy when full!

  16. Image for Kelley Black Kelley Black

    I'm unfortunately from Oklahoma...I think your bottle is an apple cider bottle or apple cider vinegar. Looks great!

  17. Image for Taylor Taylor

    I have a bottle exactly like this, with the One Gallon stamp on it. The glass on mine has a slight green tint to it. I found it in Canton. It was supposed to be for my booth but...sometimes a few things just don't seem to ever make it down there. Lisa

  18. Image for Cindy Cindy

    I'm reading all the posts that it seems vinegar was stored in it. Shame on me for thinking the worst.....moonshine. lol

  19. Image for PC PC

    Vinegar - all stuff used to come in gallon jars. My mother/grandmothers/great-grandmothers bought it in gallons to make pickles. In my younger days, I made wine from grape juice in one . I received your book as a gift for Mother's Day. I am enjoying it.

  20. Image for laura laura

    I don't know what it is, but now I want one! I started buying milk in glass jars (from Sprouts). Everything tastes better in glass! laura

  21. Image for Fran Ferrari Fran Ferrari

    Oh and here I am in Oklahoma City and missed what looked like a great sale. I would have picked up such a jar in a heartbeat! But, I'm think that it's me who needs a garage sale these days.

  22. Image for Debbie Debbie

    My first thought is also apple cider or apple cider vinegar. We had one or two brown glass ones, and my mother made lamps from them and painted dogwood blossoms on the side. Wish they’d not gotten broken, but I don’t think I would’ve used them! 😄. By the way, I’m from Georgia.

  23. Image for Debra Debra

    It’s very common. A wine bottle, usually a cheap red version that is available in any wine/spirits store. They come in a nice green color as well.

  24. Image for Mari Mari

    So simple and elegant. I have to domment in the room in general.......beautiful! I am rethinking eberything in my house with blues/gray. May I ask what color paint you used in this room.

  25. Image for Jill Jill

    My husband makes home brewed beer, so to me, that looks like a beer jar. They call them "growlers," although most beer is bottled in amber or brown bottles....(I'm from Wisconsin....we love our beer so that's probably why "beer growler" was uppermost in my mind),

  26. Image for Leila Jane Leila Jane

    I'm 73 and I used to buy vinegar in bottles like this. I find it interesting that packaging went from glass to plastic but now glass is coming back again as preferred use!

  27. Image for Dee Turk Dee Turk

    You are so adorable! KariAnne, no one decorates as beautifully as you! I love everything you put your hand to my friend! I'm thinking vinegar, and what an adorable way you've displayed it perfectly with the little bits of greenery!

  28. Image for Connie Connie

    My mom and Grandma canned and they bought vinegar in those gallon jugs. We live in Virginia. Hubby and I have collected White House vinegar jugs/bottles/jars for years. It was bottled in Winchester, Va. They have the White House vinegar logo in the glass on a lot of them. I have one small jar that has a glass top. All so different and interesting. Yours looks great as a centerpiece. Think I'll use one of mine for that too!

  29. Image for Beth Beth

    I remember those as a kid here in Ky. My grandmother always had them and they were apple cider jugs. I loved drinking it back then so I remember it vividly. She stocked up when I visited :).

  30. Image for Susan Ronnfeldt Susan Ronnfeldt

    As soon as I saw it, I knew it was a jug for vinegar. I had not seen one since I was a child, back in the 50"s. As I was scrolling through the comments, I see my memory was correct.. My Mom put up a LOT of pickles, and used a LOT of ac vinegar. It is gorgeous on your table!!! Treasure it!

  31. Image for Dewena Dewena

    Such a cute story and you have made a star out of a commonplace, garage sale overlooked, item. Now it is as beautiful on your table as a Lalique vase would be, more beautiful I would say!

  32. Image for phyllis phyllis

    Lots of opinions, but none from me. Looks like you might have to pay a visit to "Antiques Roadshow" to get the skinny. Good luck, and I love how you have used this "mysterious" find.

  33. Image for Cindy Cindy

    Karianne, go to Spec’s Liquor Store (Texas). Are they in McKinney? There is a margarita mixer sold in jugs like this. But not as large.

  34. Image for jillian jillian

    I remember these used for vinegar and apple juice...maybe other things. Most likely a generic gallon size jar used for many things. Wish everything still came in glass jars. All this plastic is a bad idea health wise and ecology wise. Even recycled.

  35. Image for Trudy Trudy

    With so much feedback and thoughts of what it "might have been" it leaves you wide open for your own story. What do you want it to have been? You're creative, you'll come up with something/story. It's beautiful and you've given it a new purpose and someday when someone else purchases it from you, they'll ask "what was this used for"? Enjoy!

  36. Image for JESSICA WILSON JESSICA WILSON

    I have several of these with Coke labels still attached. I find them in garages (here in Oklahoma) with gas stored in them. I have one that I cannot remove the lid to dispose of the gas. And of course it has the very best coke label of them all. :)

  37. Image for Maureen Reynolds Maureen Reynolds

    Vinegar, wine or still maple syrup up Vermont way. Gallon glass jugs are still sold on line and probably in many glass store. I keep my gallon pickle jars, paint the lids and store stuff like the big bags for sun tea. Your centerpiece looks lovely.

  38. Image for Mary Kaiser Mary Kaiser

    It is for apple cider, and they also use to use them for vinegar, I grew up in Michigan(still here) they came with both in them. Never thought to save one to use like you have, now I will have to be on the look out for one. It is really cute on your table.

  39. Image for Jill Jill

    In Missouri growing up our little local grocery story sold their own BBQ sauce in 1 gallon bottles exactly like this. It was called Bob’s special blend.

  40. Image for Jill Jill

    In Missouri growing up our little local grocery story sold their own BBQ sauce in 1 gallon bottles exactly like this. It was called Bob’s special blend

  41. Image for Patty Patty

    Hi KariAnne, I’m new to your blog. I found you through Maria Killam’s blog and so glad I did. I’m enjoying pouring over your past blog posts. Do you have an area online where I can “shop your home?” Your white, round table holding the jug centerpiece is just what I’m looking for. Thank you!

  42. Image for Jolene Jolene

    In the 1950's we went to A & W Root Beer stands and brought home gallon jugs of their root beer. The jug looks very similar.

  43. Image for Nan, Odessa, DE Nan, Odessa, DE

    Could be anyone's guess! What is on the bottom? Tell me, OH tell me, where I can buy that white table? Brand? dimensions? Did it come with chairs? Or can I buy just the table? Details, friend.

  44. Image for Mo Mo

    😀 As has been said, vinegar, but pretty much any liquid now sold in plastic gallon jugs used to be sold in glass bottles like yours. That’s why people are remembering everything from kerosene to syrup!

  45. Image for RW RW

    A tour around the U.S.. :) Alabama. Apple Cider. Maybe vinegar, but I thought the top was simpler, without the ridge. You've turned a commonplace item into a treasure of memories! :)

  46. Image for Julie Julie

    I’m from Montana and I agree with the A & W root beer bottle. As I child in the 70’s my dad would bring a gallon jug home of root beer in the summer after work. Over vanilla ice cream it was amazing!

  47. Image for JC at the uncommon pearl JC at the uncommon pearl

    Well, it appears I'm a little late on the response and that vinegar wins out. But, when we used to live in CA.....I know it's a long way from OK, I used to buy apple cider in glass jugs just like this. Whatever it's former life, you have given it freshness on your table and new purpose. Love those yard sale finds!

  48. Image for Shawna Shawna

    I have two big brown bottles exactly the same on my front porch for decoration. I tried posting a pic in the comments for you but no luck lol! Enjoy, its super cute with the flowers

  49. Image for Sbecker610@yahoo.com Sbecker610@yahoo.com

    Oh, so many delicious memories. That jar started out as a vinegar jar but was saved for the delicious frosty homemade root beer jugs. So foamy and yummy. Cherish that beautiful jar.

  50. Image for Anna McWilliam Anna McWilliam

    I have several of these jars here in England. They were mainly used for cider and came from the West Country. We often now use them to make hedgerow wine in and they are often called a Demi John. Kind Regards Anna

  51. Image for Nancy DuPont Nancy DuPont

    Vintage A&W root beer bottle. I knew it the minute I saw it. Boy, what wonderful memories it brought back. You can google it. $22 on Amazon I would love a root beer float right now❣️

  52. Image for Ana María Ana María

    They are currently available at Amazon. They come in clear, amber and frosted black glass. Also, Martinelli cider and R. W. Knudsen cider are still sold in them.

  53. Image for Leslie from Fairview Leslie from Fairview

    I remember big jugs like that full of vinegar when I was young - a long,long time ago. Love how you make ordinary functional things so beautiful! Enjoyed your guest column in Maria Killam's blog. I found Maria thru one of your posts when I first found your blog about five years or so ago. The only two I follow faithfully. Color, even neutrals, ARE complicated, aren't they? Until someone shows you the mystery of undertones. Eager to see how you incorporate color knowledge into your posts, especially with SW colors. Are you going to offer color consults?

  54. Image for Jenny Young Jenny Young

    I'm pretty sure it was vinegar. I actually have three...two of them are a pale green glass & one has a flat side. They make beautiful vases. It took me a bit to figure out what you were talking about because they're so common to me....I thought you were talking about the unusual wooden base.

  55. Image for Sandi Sandi

    My husband says some bug killer that's been banned! I think my mother had those in her root cellar, but they were dirty and empty too. In case you're interested, you can super clean bottles with denture tablets and warm water. Yes, it really works at bubbling all that glup off the inside of a bottle!

  56. Image for Donna Donna

    When I bought my current house, there were many jars like that under the house. They had Coca Cola syrup in them, and, yes, they had labels. They were used at soda shops. The old fashioned soda fountains.

  57. Image for Peg Peg

    Wow, so many comments! My first thought was cheap wine but looks like it’s vinegar. Love what you’ve done with it...so very pretty!! xoxo

  58. Image for Crystal Crystal

    We bought muscadine grape juice in bottles just like that a couple of summers ago from an orchard in North Carolina. But it's true-- vinegar came in bottles like that when I was a child in the 50s and 60s. I may have even purchased vinegar in those bottles in 70s .....my oh my, I'm old!

    1. Image for Sue Sue

      Crystal, when I first married, in the 70s, I thought I had to hand make pickles and other items like we had done all summer long growing up. I have some from then. I had forgotten about bleach coming in glass jugs. I have an unopened one-half gallon jug of canned apple juice I bought last Christmas in a smaller version of that. I save lots of glass jars now, especially ones with larger openings so I can store onions and other foods in the refrigerator. .

  59. Image for Charley Charley

    I think the most significant part of this story is that you have such a sweet husband that would shop via I phone with you. Not a lot of husbands like their wives buying things and certainly don't encourage "hunting and gathering'. It's taken 50 years to get mine even half way there!

  60. Image for ceily allison ceily allison

    In Texas we bought gallons of apple juice or apple cider in those jugs (back in the day)! Love it on your summer table~>💕

  61. Image for Mary S Mary S

    I can't say what was originally in this jug, but when we were kids, my parents and thier friends all had one and in those days beer was sold in a package store. So who ever was hosting an evening at a picnic table in the back yard went to the package store and got a gallon of DRAFT beer and the adults all shared it with some snacks. The kids played in the yard catching lightning bugs!! All TRUE! I'm from Springfield, Illinois. When I moved to St. Louis and tried to get a jug filled they looked at me like I had 3 heads!! Ha!! :)

  62. Image for Mary Mary

    Here in Ontario, Canada, we can still get apple cider in jugs like yours. And you know what happens to cider if you leave it too long — you have vinegar. So I guess vinegar came in them too. Recently, several craft brewers have been selling their beer in brown jugs (called growlers - don’t ask me why!) that can be refilled. Multiple uses. I like yours!

  63. Image for Julie Julie

    You make me laugh out loud! Thank you! And by the way what is your wall paint color? It photographs beautiful!

  64. Image for Carol Carol

    My grandfather's drugstore had a lunch counter in it. When I was young they used to "make" soda by putting flavored syrup in the glass, add the carbonated water, & pop in ice & a straw to stir gently. The syrup came in jugs just like that. My favorite was a root beer ice cream float. I was sad that when I was high school my uncles made the switch to commercial soda.

  65. Image for Lauren Peege Lauren Peege

    Most defenitely an apple cider jar. We had them back in the late 1960’s. They were re-used for moonshine in some Kentucky/Tennessee parts!

  66. Image for Colleen Colleen

    Vinegar..for sure! I even remember them in our cellar as a littl girl. My mother saved all the glass jars and bottles and I even remember the labels on them.

  67. Image for deborah deborah

    Your decorating taste is impeccable! I love everything you do. It looks very classy when you are finished. Thank you for sharing!

  68. Image for Jenifer Higgins Jenifer Higgins

    It looks like it might be an apple cider jug. Some orchards near my home still use some that look exactly like that.

  69. Image for Sandy Bowers Sandy Bowers

    My guess is definitely a vinegar bottle. There was one in the basement of the old farm house we had in Indiana complete with label. My daughter removed the label and covered it in chicken wire and I put scrabble tiles i it. Love it! How appropriate that you used vinegar to clean it out!

  70. Image for Marie Lavender Marie Lavender

    I have a similar bottle that I found in my Grandpa's barn. It still had a little bit of the label on it and we think it may have been a jug of vinegar since she did a lot of canning - pickles and such.. I use mine for all sorts of things and love having that little piece of their history in my home.

  71. Image for Emmie Emmie

    We had a whole bunch of these in my grandma's cellar. They were used to hold vinegar that grandma used for making pickles.

  72. Image for Terri Terri

    I immediately remembered this exact jug ...as a child when we would go to the A & W Root Beer stand / drive up ... you know... where they would bring the tray to your car and hang it over your car window... you could also purchase A&W Root Beer fresh from the tap by the gallon .. and take it home in a glass gallon jug exactly like yours...... and of course you would take the jug back and turn it in... and start all over again!! lolol.... Fun memories .... I really love how you are using it !!! Gorgeous

  73. Image for Antoinette Graziano Antoinette Graziano

    Antoinette Graziano: Dear Karianne, My Dad used them for home made wine. Your gallon as a centerpiece is beautiful !! Karianne,you have hands of gold , I love everything you do!! I am also crazy about the chairs where can I buy them? Everything is gorgeous!!!!

  74. Image for Paula Jones Paula Jones

    Hey KariAnne, I agree about the vinegar or cider bottle. BUT, if you ever come across one that is like that and brown glass, it is more than likely a " Purex" bleach bottle. I have some of those. Miss you!

  75. Image for Mitzi Treimann Mitzi Treimann

    Hi KariAnne! Yes, that bottle was either for cider or vinegar. But, it may have been repurposed as a moonshine jug! I saw those jugs at my Granny's house, and it was rumored that my Great Uncle Jesse imbibed. As kids, my cousins and I found remnants of a still. Apparently, you could tell when Uncle Jess got into the 'shine cause he would first turn the horses out of the pasture, then jump in his truck and roar down the driveway in reverse. When he got to the road he would continue in reverse until he got tired of looking over his shoulder. Then he would put his old pickup in forward and drive home. Don't you just love crazy family?

  76. Image for Trisha Trisha

    We call them carboys. I have 8 of them sitting in my bathtub right now with hard cider cooking in them. We also use them when we make beer. We usually have 8 with cider then the 8 are used for beer.

  77. Image for Angela Angela

    Here in NC our local breweries use them as beer growlers. Once you run out just take them back to the brewery and have them refilled, it's cheaper than buying by the bottle if you want larger quantities.

  78. Image for Kelly Kelly

    There is a winery here in GA that sells their wine in them and you can take the jug back and have it refilled. But it sounds like it could be for anything from syrup, wine, beer, soda, etc.

  79. Image for Suer Suer

    I haven't read the other comments but it looks like a vinegar jar to me. We used a gazillion when I was growing up on a farm making pickles or, at grandmother's using it medicinally when she made us. Our syrup was always in wider-mouthed jars because it was thick and would take a month of Sundays to pour out of the jar, especially in the winter. It really was as slow as molasses.

    1. Image for Sue Sue

      I saw cider mentioned but we didn't make it because it wouldn't keep. Couldn't have hard cider here in the Bible belt. Of course, it could have been used for that elsewhere (and even moonshine. We just weren't supposed to know the neighboring farmer sometimes made "product".

  80. Image for Tammy Tammy

    I am from Oklahoma. We called those "jugs" and they were everywhere when was younger. We used them for just about everything from making sun tea to pickles. I think Vinegar came in it originally. So pretty on your table!

  81. Image for Bess Witt Bess Witt

    OMG...I found one of these in my garage, 20 years ago when I bought my house. I never knew what to do with it but I held on! Now that I have discovered vinegar, I am going to dig it out and see if I can get mine cleaned up like yours. There just might be a few hydrangea left that haven't lost color!!! Thanks for the inspiration - simple - but perfect. Bess

  82. Image for Deb Deb

    Karianne, since you seem to have plenty of responses to your question about the beautiful jug, may I ask about your dining chairs? I want to get some similar, but am concerned how well the woven rattan holds up to daily use. Any feedback? Thanks!

  83. Image for Jane B Jane B

    I'm so late in replying and haven't read all the other comments but here goes.....it may have held apple cider vinegar and you can still buy them (filled with the apple cider vinegar!). I've gotten 3 of them and cleaned them out, put some flower stems in them and sold 2 of them in my booth ;-) I love them!

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