Heard it through the Grapevine

What’s in Your Attic?

As bottle collectors, we all dream of fi nding treasure, whether by digging, or at an antique store, or scoring an amazing deal at auction. From Fox News in Jackson, Mississippi, comes this story:

“Couple fi nds 60 bottles of 1920s bootleg whiskey in secret walls of New York home

“Old homes usually have a couple of secrets hiding behind their walls, but they’re usually not this boozy.

“A couple in upstate New York made what they call a “wild discovery” when they uncovered what appears to be an old bootlegger’s supply hidden in the walls of their house. Th ey also say that, upon further inspection, they’ve found hidden compartments with more bottles dating back to the 1920s stashed away.

“Nick Drummond, who owns the house with his partner Patrick in Ames, N.Y., spoke with Fox News, confi rming that so far, “it’s about 60 bottles actually, and there are more compartments we have to open in the fl oor. I defi nitely think there is more to fi nd! “According to him, they had previously heard stories about the house. “We were actually told by a neighbor that the home was rumored to have been built by a bootlegger and a German baron,” he said, “and found the story endearing, but took it with a grain of salt. We never thought any part of the story was actually true!”

“Drummond explained, “Th e more we keep digging, the more we’ve found, too! We set up an Instagram account called @bootleggerbungalow, and have been trying to document the discoveries alongside our renovation. Our followers have actually been helping us solve the mystery!” “Th e excited homeowner also revealed to Fox News that his research has led him to believe that bottles and hidden compartments were used by a bootlegger named Adolph Humpfner. Drummond explained that after Humpfner’s death (which was apparently under mysterious circumstances), secret compartments were found in his other properties and vehicles. “It’s insane,” Drummond said after relaying the story of Humpfner.

“As far as their own discoveries, Drummond says that while he’s not “a whiskey expert by any means,” he does “enjoy a good whiskey from time to time. Drummond said auction houses and collectors have contacted him, speculating that the value on some of the bottles might range between $500 and $1,200.”

Th e brand of whiskey found has quite a history of its own. Old Smuggler is an internationally known distinctive blended scotch whiskey dating back to 1835. Its fi ne, smooth taste is due to its special blend of the fi nest scotch whiskies.

In 1644, the Scottish Parliament introduced a notorious excise duty on scotch whiskey. Th is tax would continue to rise for the next several decades. Th is was simply unacceptable to those whose families had been making whiskey mainly for themselves.

Smuggling quickly became a way of life for the distillers, who made it their mission to share their whiskies throughout the Scottish Isles. Unable to curtail the smuggling, the government was eventually forced to reduce the duty in the early 1800s, leading to the establishment of legal distilleries. One of the few distilleries to have survived from that time is Old Smuggler, who chose their name to honor the spirit of the early whiskey makers.

Heard it through the Grapevine

One of the bottles found at the home.

A package of Old Smuggler comes out of the hatch.

Heard it through the Grapevine

PHOTOS:

TOP: Corning Museum of Glass logo. MIDDLE: Toledo Museum of Art logo. BOTTOM: The FOHBC Virtual Museum logo. TOP RIGHT: The Glass Pavilion at the Toledo Museum of Art.

Not Sure What to Do in a Pandemic?

Why not use the time to support one of several museums that feature great glass collections? Many of these museums are still open, practice safe policies with social distancing, masks and sanitizing stations. Here are just a few of the museums with outstanding bottle and glass collections:

Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, N.Y. (website: www.cmog.org). Legendary collections of glass including a signifi cant historical fl ask collection, miscellaneous bottles, pattern molded items, early European glass, and much more!

Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion, Toledo, Ohio. (website: www.toledomuseum.org). Th e new contemporary glass pavilion at the Toledo Museum of Art opened its doors in August 2006. Th e building itself is impressive. In addition, it houses a vast collection of glass, including an impressive collection of ancient glass, early American bottles and fl asks, and contemporary art glass.

Perhaps lesser known, but no less impressive, is the relatively new DavidsonGerson Gallery of Glass in Greenfi eld Village (next to Henry Ford Museum), Dearborn, Mich. (website: thehenryford. org). Th is beautiful new building constructed in Greenfi eld Village houses an unbelievable collection of antique bottles and fl asks, many collected by George McKearin. Th e late Kenneth Wilson was a long-time curator at the museum. Th e museum features more than 300 years of American glass from its beginnings to present day. Please note that Greenfi eld Village is closed for the season and will reopen in April 2021.

If you are not comfortable venturing out, why not visit the latest glass museum to open its doors, Th e FOHBC Virtual Museum. You can visit this outstanding museum from the comfort of your own home. (website: fohbcvirtualmuseum. org). Th e FOHBC Virtual Museum doors are open and visiting is free to the public during the pandemic. Th e museum was established to display, inform, educate and enhance the enjoyment of historical bottle and glass collecting by providing an online museum experience for signifi cant historical bottles and other items related to early glass.

Th e museum is growing daily and has close to 500 examples in various galleries. Th ere is no other place in collecting where such an endeavor has been undertaken. Th e best 3-D imagery, research and support imagery one can imagine have been employed to make bottles come to life. Come and take a look and consider supporting the museum, as it relies totally on donations.