California Aromatic Orange Bitters – San Francisco
PART OF THE ORANGE BITTERS SERIES
11 February 2014 (R•052119)
Here is another, what appears to be, unlisted “Orange” bitters from San Francisco, California. The California Aromatic Orange Bitters was put out by Irishman, John Mulhern, who had a long and storied business career. As a young man in 1880, Mulhern took his life savings of $500 and purchased the complete assets of a soda pop and soda fountain business from Martin Z. Watson. This move would shape his career.
Initially in the 1880s, Mulhern was listed as selling flavoring extracts. He does this while maintaining the Watson & Company name at 122 & 124 Market until he changes the name of the business to John Mulhern in 1898 or 1899. The word “Company’ is missing from directory listings and advertising.
From 1899, until 1902 or so, Mulhern put his knowledge with flavoring extracts and oranges to use and he produced his California Orange Bitters. I can only find advertising for these three years. He said the bitters was for “Dyspepsia, Loss of Appetite and Stomach Troubles”. At that time, there were other ‘imported’ orange bitters being sold in San Francisco by William Wolff & Co. and others, so Mulhern most likely added “California” to the name to distinguish his product.
The California Aromatic Orange Bitters was probably a labeled bitters and to my knowledge, no examples exist in collections. This bitters may have remained forgotten, and unlisted in Ring & Ham, had it not been for the submission of the advertising envelope below by bitters trade card authority Joe Gourd.
Envelope
C 11.5 CALIFORNIA AROMATIC ORANGE BITTERS, For Dyspepsia, Loss of Appetite and all Stomach Troubles. John Mulhern, Proprietor, 122 & 124 Market St., San Francisco, Cal., Envelope has a Washington 1890 issue, 2-cent, magenta stamp with a ‘football 13’ hand cancel in cork. John Mulhern advertised his bitters from 1899 to 1902.
Special Note: The envelope above has a Washington 1890 issue, 2-cent, magenta stamp with a ‘football 13’ hand cancel in cork (see detail below). It looks likes the circular cancel reads, “SAN FRANCISCO, SEP 23, 2 PM 92.”. If this 1892 date is correct, this puts the bitters product much earlier from 1890 to 1902. What is odd, is that John Mulhern was using the Watson & Co. name during this period. Watson is not used on the envelope.
Mulhern also advertised that he was an agent for Dr. Abernathy’s Green Ginger Brandy. In those days, one of the popular hardy beverages enjoyed by all two-fisted drinkers was “Dr. Abernathy’s” and John Mulhern continued its manufacture right up until the days of prohibition. During prohibition it appeared as a medicinal beverage.
Mulhern next expands from flavoring extracts and bitters into the soda supply and machinery business in 1902 and runs this until 1925 becoming a noted and pioneer dealer and representative in this business field. You see him quoted at many product shows and within trade magazines in historical documents. Mulhern was also one of the first to introduce to California, Coca-Cola fountain syrup from Atlanta, along with Claridge flavors from Boston and a complete line of soda fountains.
What is really cool is that Mulhern had Patent No: 149,711 for the design and the words “Orange-Kist Soda” which was a non-alcolohic, malt less beverage sold as a soft drink. It looks like the flavor orange was a theme in Johns life.
Representative John Mulhern Timeline:
John Mulhern
1880: A young John Mulhern took his life savings of $500 and purchased the “complete assets” of a soda pop and soda fountain business from Martin Z. Watson.
1890: John Mulhern, manufacturer and dealer flavoring extracts, 124 Market – San Francisco City Directory
1893: John Mulhern, mnfr flavoring extracts, 122-124 Market – San Francisco City Directory
1896: John Mulhern, manufacturing agent, mfr flavoring extracts, 124 Market – San Francisco City Directory
1897: Manufacturing Agent, John Mulhern, 124 Market – San Francisco City Directory
1898: John Mulhern, manufacturer of flavoring extracts and manager Watson & Co., 124 Market, San Francisco City Directory
1899: John Mulhern, bitters, 124 Market, San Francisco City Directory
1900: John Mulhern (successor to Watson & Co.), soda water supplies and machinery and aft. Dr. Abernathy’s Green Ginger Brandy and California Orange Bitters, 124 Market – San Francisco City Directory
1900-1901: Bitters: California Orange Bitters (John Mulhern), 124 Market Street, 1901 Crocker-Langley San Francisco Directory
John Mulhern and California Orange Bitters listing – 1902 San Francisco City Directory
1902: John Mulhern (see above), soda water supplies and machinery and aft. Dr. Abernathy’s Green Ginger Brandy and California Orange Bitters, 124 Market – 1902 San Francisco City Directory
1902: Wm. Wolff & Co. , 216 Mission, agents Orange Bitters, San Francisco Blue Book * This is an import product most likely and not the same brand.
1905: John Mulhern, flavoring extracts, 124 Market – San Francisco City Directory | Also Soda Water Machinery and Supplies Advertisement (see below)
Soda Water and Machinery advertisement, John Mulhern – American Bottler, 1905
1907: Soda Water Manufacturing Supplies: John Mulhern, 2827, 25th, 1907 San Francisco Directory
John Mulhern Soda Water Machinery and Supplies – The San Francisco Call, February 21, 1911
1911: John Mulhern Soda Water Machinery and Supplies advertisement (see above) – The San Francisco Call, February 21, 1911
1915: Soda Water Apparatus: John Mulhern, 180 2nd, San Francisco City Directory
1922: Patent No: 149,711 – John Mulhern Co. San Francisco, Calif. Design and the words “Orange-Kist Soda” Non-alcolohic, malt less beverage sold as a soft drink. – The Soda Fountain, 1922
1925: John Mulhern Company SODA WATER BOTTLING MACHINERY – FLAVORING EXTRACTS AND SUPPLIES * 182 SECOND STREET SAN FRANCISCO – University of California Berkeley – Blue and Gold Yearbook (Berkeley, CA) – Class of 1925
Mack’s Orange Tonic Bitters – a sweet bitters from Orlando
Fine Aromatic Orange Stomach Bitters – Berry, Demoville & Co. – Nashville
Roped Squares – Baker’s Orange Grove Bitters
