In the broader world of maple syrup making, Minnesota has always been viewed as something of a backwater, with obvious reasons. There are far fewer maple syrup makers in that state than most of the rest of the maple producing region and the size of operation and volume of syrup made is considerably less.
However, being on the periphery and outside of the core of the maple world can have the advantage of not being as conditioned by or concerned with conventional approaches, thus freeing one up to think and act a little differently. One example of that from occurred in Minnesota in the 1940s and 1950s, where one man, Sherman Holbert, took a few risks and decided to try a different model for making maple syrup.
I was able to interview Holbert in 2002 at his Mille Lacs Lake home when he was in his late 80s to learn more about his maple operation and how it came to be, and just as quickly disappeared.
The article I wrote telling this story was recently published in the July 2018 edition of Minnesota History magazine. I am happy to share a PDF version of the article at this link here or by clicking on the image of the article above.
Maple producers have been packing maple syrup into miniature glass bottles since at least the 1930s with many early bottles being used and marketed as trial-sizes or individual servings sample bottles to get people to try a particular brand. Folks not familiar with the flavor and taste of real maple syrup could buy or be given a sample size bottle to see if they liked it rather than jump in for a larger bottle. More recently small bottles of the 1.5 to 2.0 ounce sizes have been used and sold as more novelty bottles and complimentary favors for weddings, parties, businesses and as conveniently sized stocking stuffers.
Small 2.0 ounce sample size bottle in front of larger 12.0 ounce Highland Maple Syrup bottle.
The Cary Maple Sugar Company’s brand of Highland Syrup was bottling their syrup in 2.0 ounce minis since the late 1930s. At one point the company even devised a plan and set up for refillable bottles. Small sample size bottles would be distributed and sold at restaurants and hotels and then the satisfied customer could return to refill their small bottle at unique syrup dispenser. Similar in appearance to a water cooler, a large glass jug of Highland Syrup was suspended upside down and the small empty Highland bottle was refilled through a spigot below.
Highland Maple Syrup dispenser for refilling 2.0 ounce sample size bottles.
Miniatures maple syrup bottles are sometimes referred to as nips which is a name that comes from the more common miniature hard alcohol bottles from which one might take a “nip” or small sip. The term “nip” supposedly has its origins in the word “nipperkin” which meant a small measure of spirits or a measure of alcohol less than a half pint. The word may also have come from the Low German and Dutch word of nippen which means to sip or taste. Hard alcohol nips in the form of miniaturized versions of popular and recognizable bottles and labels of spirits like whiskey, gin, vodka, and various liqueurs have been around since the early part of the 20th century.
Holbert’s Mille Lacs Maple Corp. “Northern Comfort” maple syrup 1/10th pint nip bottle from early 1950s.
In the late 1940s or early 1950s one particular maple syrup producer in Minnesota got the idea to create a novelty label for small bottles of syrup that was a play on the nip size and the name of a few popular and better-known whiskeys and bourbons. In a 2002 interview I conducted with the late Sherman Holbert, he shared that he had been bottling syrup for a few years in the late 1940s in whatever glass bottles he could find, since following the war, specialty glass was hard to come by. Holbert’s maple business, Mille Lacs Maple Products, often reused old pint and half pint liquor bottles for packing syrup, thoroughly cleaning and scraping off the labels before putting on his own maple syrup company labels.
Variation on the Mille Lacs Maple Corp. “Northern Comfort” maple syrup nip bottle.
His company was doing a great business selling small gift-size bottles for corporate clients when one day while removing the label from a used whiskey bottle the idea came to him to put the familiar shape and size of those small booze bottles to use and add a novelty name and label. Holbert’s first novelty label was “Old Grand Mom” playing off Old Grand Dad whiskey. He followed that with another label, which became the more popular “Northern Comfort” which was a play on the name of Southern Comfort whiskey.
Holbert’s maple syrup company was relatively short lived, ending in 1952 but the idea of novelty miniatures or nips using take-offs of popular whiskey and bourbon labels has continued to this day and the label of “Northern Comfort” stuck.
“A Nip of Northern Comfort” 1.6 ounce miniature bottle from American Maple Products Corp. out of Newport, VermontMaple Grove, Inc. 1.5 ounce “A Nip of Northern Comfort” miniature maple syrup bottle.
“A Nip of Northern Comfort” in the 1.7 ounce bottle size from the Smokey Kettle Maple Company of Grimsby, Ontario.
Other companies like Maple Grove, Inc. and American Maple Products in Vermont have used the “A Nip of Northern Comfort” label on novelty, nip-sized bottles in the past, and it is still used today by the Smokey Kettle Maple Company out of Ontario.
The Reynolds Sugar Bush used “Sudden Discomfort” as their own unique take on it. In addition to “Sudden Discomfort”, Reynolds Sugar Bush had a whole line up of novelty labels including Old Croak, Old Polecat, Old Grand Gag, Old Old Hound Dog, and Hawg & Hawg.
Today, most “nip” sized and shaped miniature syrup bottles are used as gifts and favors for guests to special events but their origins are actually in found in the bottom of an empty whiskey bottle.
Reynolds Sugar Bush of Aniwa, Wisconsin’s take on the maple syrup nip bottle with the Sudden Discomfort label.
The Reynolds Sugar Bush used “Southern Discomfort” as their own unique take on it. In addition to “Southern Discomfort”, Reynolds had a whole line up of novelty labels including Old Croak, Old Polecat, Old Grand Gag, Old Hound Dog, and Hawg & Hawg. Interestingly, in his 1998 history of the family and its business Reynolds, Maple, and History: Fit for Kings,” Lynn Reynolds suggests that most of the ideas for novelty packaging, including the bottles “imitating beer, wines, liquors, and other beverages” came from his father Adin Reynolds. Unfortunately, this claim, which may in part be true, is not accompanied by any supporting dates or documentary evidence. Consulting the 1963, 1964 and 1967 equipment and sugar maker supplies catalogs in my collection from Reynolds Sugar Bush one does not find examples of novelty glass containers among the items offered, suggesting Reynolds’ sale and promotion of novelty nip bottles came at a later date.
Today, most “nip” sized and shaped miniature syrup bottles are used as gifts and favors for guests to special events but their origins are actually in found in the bottom of an empty whiskey bottle.
