Mamma’s Recipes for Keeping Papa Home – Herdrich’s Bitters
PART OF THE ORANGE BITTERS SERIES
18 February 2014 R-062921
“Find out what drink is his favorite and supply him with the very thing that he goes to the club for…”
Mamma’s Recipes for Keeping Papa Home
We wrote about Grandfather’s Perfect Orange Bitters the other day. Now we will look at “Papa” and some of “Momma’s Herdrich’s” recipes for keeping men home. The Herdrich family was quite large as you will see and they were operating three saloons at once while producing and selling alcohol. I think the men were busy most of the time with their businesses and spent their ‘free’ time hunting, fishing, drinking, and playing the tuba. Things German men do. The ‘mammas’ definitely needed to supply the papa’s with something as the menu book says.
We will be looking specifically at four bitters, three unlisted, from Chicago and represented by Frederick Harry Herdrich, importer from Germany. Within the “Recipe Book”, various spirits were advertised, such as Orange Tonic, Old ye Whiskey, Tippecanoe Kentucky Whiskey, Burgundy Wine Bitters, Holland Herb Bitters, Maryland Peach Brandy, and more. Unfortunately, only the cover is available online with descriptions of what is within.
What prompted this post was yet another very odd trade card from the Joe Gourd collection. Joe, himself lives in the Chicago area. The folding card is pictured below and notes the following bitters:
Here is to you Health
Herdrich’s Holland Herb Bitters – Cleans the Blood, Invigorates and Tones up the system. | Unlisted
Herdrich’s Alpenkrauter Magenstarkender Bitters – Will make the Bowels move. *I believe this might be H 97.5 L … Herdrich’s Alpine Pure Herb Bitters, Fred H. Herdrich, 127 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, 3 1/2″, Square, Amber, LTC, Tooled Lip in Carlyn Ring and Bill Ham’s Bitters Bottles Supplement.
Herdrich’s Orange Tonic Bitters – Gives appetite and new life and strength to the body. *F. H. HERDRICH’S / ORANGE TONIC / CHICAGO, Amber, square, 9 ¼” tall referenced in HistoricBottles.com | Unlisted
Herdrich’s Burgundy Wine Bitters – Makes new Blood and Invigorates the system. | Unlisted
Joe Gourd Trade Card
Frederick Herdrich Family Gatherings
This has to be the only advertising trade card where the family is pictured both at a meal table setting and gathered outside. Frederick Henry Herdrich was a proud German and a true family man. In the trade card picture above and below, Frederick is most likely seated with close family members like his father Landolin Herdrich, and mother Barbara Weber Herdrich. His many brothers and sisters could have been there such as Charles, Anton, Josephine, Bertha, Landolin W., Heinrich, and Stella. Some of the others pictured might be children, such as Ophella E., Harry Frederick, Martha R., and Frederick C. Herdrich. His first wife, Anna Boos Hendrich may be missing and children from his second marriage may be present. This includes Ruth L., Harold E., Margaret A., Alan, and Ralph Cooley Herdrich. His new young wife Stella Mae, may be featured on the exterior setting posing upfront with the little ones.
I bet the bottles on the tables are Herdrich products such as Herdrich’s Holland Herb Bitters, Herdrich’s Alpenkrauter Magenstarkender Bitters, Herdrich’s Orange Tonic Bitters and Herdrich’s Burgundy Wine Bitters. I wish I could enlarge and make out the labels.
The exterior pose, presumably of the Herdrich family is a man’s picture. It looks like something that you might see within Field and Stream which was founded in 1895. Every male in the picture is holding something including, what I believe are shotguns, rifles, fly fishing rods, and a tuba! One of the stern women has a broom. The pretty lass in front might be Fredericks’s new, very young wife, Stella Mae. She was 28 and he was 55 at one point. I bet she knew how to keep ‘Papa’ home.
Looking at the illustration on the front of the card is interesting. You have to look close but you can see that there is three fly fisherman in a boat. Probably the three Herdrich saloon owners. One is holding up a bottle of bitters presenting it to an angry farmer with a pitchfork. Quite odd. I have enlarged and strengthened the art below.
Another fun bitters to look at and learn about. Every bottle has a story. Here, I wonder why Frederich and Stella sold their new 10-room house and Chicago and why Stella went to Alabama. Did Fred go with her? He died in Chicago. Maybe the recipe didn’t work here.
Select Frederick H. Herdrich Listings
1856: Frederick H. Herdrich born 18 October 1856 in Baden, Germany, father Landolin Herdrich, mother Barbara Weber. Spouses Anna Boos and later Stella Mae Cooley.
1869: Immigration to United States.
1881: Established Herdrich brand in 1881.
1883 – 1884: Frederick H. Herdrich, liquor, 169 Chicago av – City of Chicago Directory
1884: F. H. Hedrich (Herdrich), three-story dwelling, 127 Chicago Ave, Cost $5,500 –American Architect and Architecture
1885: Frederick Herdrich marries Anna Boos on 30 June 1885. Children: Ophella E., Harry Frederick, Martha R. and Frederick C. Herdrich *He later marries a very young Stella Mae and has children: Ruth L., Harold E., Margaret A., Alan and Ralph Cooley Herdrich.
1886 – 1908: Wines & Liquors, F. H. Herdrich, 127 E. Chicago ave. *also L. W. Herdrich & Bro. 169 Chicago av.- A. N. Marquis & Co.’s Handy Business Directory of Chicago & other City of Chicago Directories
1897: House built for F. H. Herdrich (see below). This house later sold in 1914 after Herdrich retires in Alabama.
House built for F. H. Herdrich – The Economist: A Weekly Financial, Commercial, and Real-estate Newspaper, 1897
1900: Frederick H. Herdrich, living Chicago, wife: Anna Boos Herdrich, children: Ophella, Harry, Martha, Frederick – 1900 United States Federal Census
1905 – 1908: Frederick H. Herdrich, saloon, 127 Chicago av – City of Chicago Directory
1905-1909: Harry A. Herdrich (Frederick’s son), saloon, 169 Chicago av – City of Chicago Directory
1905-1909: Landolin W. Herdrich (Frederick’s father), saloon, 48 Chicago av – City of Chicago Directory
1908: “Herdrich’s Bitters or Tonic should always be used when drinking whiskey” or Always use a little of Herdrich’s tonic or bitters, in your whiskey. – Antioch News, August 27, 1908 and August 20, 1908.
1909-1918: Frederick H. Herdrich, 348 W Chicago Ave – City of Chicago Directory
1914: Mr. & Mrs. Fred H. Herdrich – Chicago Blue Book *House put up for sale because they have moved to Alabama (see listing below)
F. H. Herdrich puts Chicago house up for sale because he has moved to Fairhope, Alabama – Chicago Daily Tribune, 15 May 1914
1916: Mrs F. H. Herdrich (Stella Mae) dies in Alabama at only 36 years old.
1928: Frederick Herdrich died on 5 January, 1928 in DuPage, Illinois.
Grandfather’s Perfect Orange Bitters
Bernard’s Orange Bitters and a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland
Pale Orange Bitters and PJ Murray’s Ghost
Mack’s Orange Tonic Bitters – a sweet bitters from Orlando
California Aromatic Orange Bitters – San Francisco
Fine Aromatic Orange Stomach Bitters – Berry, Demoville & Co. – Nashville
Roped Squares – Baker’s Orange Grove Bitters
