Reefer, M. C.

Extra Special Bargain Bulletin (Green Mountain Distillery)

Kansas City, MO, Max C. Reefer, 1915. Large circular; 11 3/4 x 9 1/2; single sheet, pp. [2]; illustrated with two engravings; offest to upper margin from stored together with another publication; small creases to corners and a few minor nicks to edges; overall in very good condition. Born in Austria in 1848, Max C. Reefer immigrated to the US in 1861 and worked as a typesetter for the New York Tribune and several other papers in Chicago and St. Louis, before moving with his family to Kansas City in 1863 and opening the Green Mountain Distillery. Being not quite a true distiller, but rather buying whiskeys from other distilleries, mixing his own, proprietary blends, and bottling them under his own label, Reefer was nevertheless very successful in his enterprise. With a business model focused on aggressive, elaborate advertising, free giveaways to customers, and mail order sales, he would also be, allegedly, the only business to ever openly oppose one of the biggest monopolies in the US - the Whiskey Trust. Reefer's current circular began: "The country is going prohibition mad. Kentucky is 98 per cent dry and we don't know when the other 2 per cent will follow..Who can account for fanaticism?.." It listed his wholesale prices on various whiskeys, as well as an offer for 4 gallons of the finest pilgrim whiskey for $9.77. He also offered genuine Waltham or Elgin pocket watches, "The Offer of the Century!," with orders of 10 gallons or more. Very good .

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Book number: 003959

Catalogue: Pre-prohibition

Keywords: Pre-Prohibition, Alcohol