Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters

Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters

C 78

Francis and Patrick Cassin, San Francisco, California

Orange-Amber Figural Viola

Provenance: Richard T. Siri Collection

On October 20, 1849, Francis Cassin arrived in California and established a retail business in San Francisco at the corner of Pine and Montgomery Streets. His brother Patrick would join him in 1853. In 1858, Patrick would leave and establish his own business as a manufacturer of syrups, schnapps, and bitters. In a few years, the businesses failed.

In the spring of 1865, Francis Cassin started a wholesale liquor establishment in San Francisco and began manufacturing cordials, bitters, etc., and was an agent for McManman’s Celebrated Stomach Bitters. Patrick Cassin joined the business in April 1867 and the pair were the sole proprietors of Cassin’s McManman’s California Grape Brandy Bitters. The McManman name was dropped on July 13, 1867, and the bitters were simply advertised as Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters.

Again Triumphant! Another Victory. Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters Received the First Premium at the San Francisco Fair, as the best Bitters in the market.

San Francisco Daily Times, September 22, 1868

The Cassin’s bottle is most unusual in its viola shape and was produced in two mold variants. It is considered one of the top western bitters and is considered very rare to extremely rare depending on the variant and glass color.

See a second museum example of a vibrant green Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters from the Jerry Forbes collection.

See the museum example of Cassin’s O.K. Golden Plantation Whiskey.

The Carlyn Ring and W.C. Ham listings in Bitters Bottles for the two molds is as follows:

C 78 CASSIN,S // GRAPE BRANDY // BITTERS // f //
F. P. Cassin, San Francisco, California
10 x 2 5/8 x 2 ½ (7 ½)
Nearly square, base viola shaped, DCM, Applied mouth, Amber, Black, and Aqua – Extremely rare; Yellow and Green – Very rare
The apostrophe is a comma instead of normal placement
The Daily Chronicle (San Francisco) June 23, 1868.
1867 advertisement: The winning award at the California State Fair was received by F. P. Cassin of San Francisco for his Grape Brandy Bitters.
1873 advertisement: F. & P. J. Cassin, Importers and Wholesale dealers in wines and liquors at 68 Front Street. The sole proprietors of Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters.

C 79 CASSIN’S // GRAPE BRANDY // BITTERS // f //
F. & P. J. Cassin, San Francisco, California
10 x 2 5/8 x 2 ½ (7 ½)
Nearly square, base viola shape, DCM, Amber, Green, and Yellow olive, Very rare
Sunken panels
Similar to C 78 except the panels are sunken and the apostrophe is in its proper place.

Primary Spinning Image: Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters bottle imaged by the FOHBC Virtual Museum Midwest studio by Alan DeMaison.

Secondary Spinning Image: Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters imaged by Alan DeMaison at the FOHBC Reno 2022 National Antique Bottle Convention mobile imaging station.

Support: Reference to Early Glassworks of California by Warren B. Friedrich

Support: Reference to Bitters Bottles by Carlyn Ring and W. C. Ham. Use of Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters illustration courtesy Bill Ham.

Support Image: Three Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters from the Warren Friedrich collection.

Support Image: Aqua Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters (2 views). “The irony of offering another aqua blue Cassin’s is not lost on us and after selling the only other example we’d ever seen-it is quite a surprise. Never would we have guessed that when we went to the Mullally house that there would be another example albeit with a crack in it. For those that missed it, we sold the last example in perfect condition for $155,000.” This example also pictured. – Jeff Wichmann, American Bottle Auctions

Support Image: Auction Lot 63: CASSINS’ GRAPE BRANDY BITTERS C 78. 1866-73. This bottle sold in a western round-up auction through Glassworks in May of 1995. A beautiful color we’d call a yellow-green, this is the second variant and although it appears unblemished there is an in-making area on the lip where possibly a bubble interfered in creating a perfectly formed top. Also, we’ve added a picture that shows a radiating potstone on the neck. Pictures are accurate and if an in-making flaw bothers you we’d suggest passing on this one. The bottle is a typical example with some light crudity associated with a bottle this old. If you are looking for an undamaged example of this often-damaged bottle, this might just fit the bill. Grades an 8.5. – Jeff Wichmann, American Bottle Auctions, Auction 70, Part 1 of the Don Dwyer Collection

Support Image: Auction Lot 59: CASSINS’ GRAPE BRANDY BITTERS C 78. 1866-73. The Cassin bottles come in a range of colors including this dark greenish amber which is still light enough to see through in some areas. This is the variant 2 and was found by Jim McKenny and Richard Siri in 1967 at the Benicia mudflats. It was owned by at least one other owner before Don acquired it. There is a pretty severe crack in the bottle which travels from the shoulder down and around to another panel. Also, it had a hole in the lower corner and that was fixed. We were informed that the repaired hole was done with a probe. The beauty is that because of the color of the bottle the crack or repair can barely be seen. We’ve seen this color in another Cassin’s but to the extent there are others out there in this color we are not sure. The bottle has some decent overall crudity and it really comes out in the dark color. If you are looking for a Cassin’s in any condition or color, although this one has problems it still displays nicely. No grade because of the condition. – Jeff Wichmann, American Bottle Auctions, Auction 71, Part 2 of the Don Dwyer Collection

Support Image: Four Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters from Bitters Bottles.

Support Image: Cassin’s Grape Brandy Bitters label from the Eric McGuire collection.

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