Collecting Liquor Bottles
Lot's of people around the world collect liquor bottles. They do this in both the full size versions as well as the small or miniature size liquor bottles. I have never done this and only learned about it recently while traveling on an International flight. The person next two me requested some sort of liqueur. She asked that the flight attendant please not open it because she'd been trying to get this one for her collection.
Well, I couldn't let that go. My interest was sparked. When I asked her about it, she spent the next 20 minutes telling me all about her collection. It's fascinating what people collect!
My initial thought before hearing her story was that she was taking these liquor bottles back to her hotel or home and would drink them later. I guess some people do that with their little liquor bottles. But not this person. She's a non-drinker. She shared with me that she displays them for decoration in a cabinet and that they have become quite the conversation piece.
Decorating With Liquor Bottles
When I got home I just had the hardest time believing that someone would do that. So I did a search on the Internet and guess what? Lots of people collect and then use these miniature liquor bottles to decorate with. I've posted a You Tube video below to prove it. And there are plenty more just like this.
My search also turned up an entire niche market of people buying and selling liquor bottles of all sorts via the World Wide Web. Some collect miniatures. Others are really into antique, hard to find liquor bottles in intricate shapes made of unusual glass.
Full size versions of old cognacs and armagnacs with the beautiful labels in French and the distinctive bottles can fetch quite a price completely empty of contents. There's almost an old world craftsmanship to the bottling that is a bit like a piece of artwork. I'm guessing that before commercials the bottle set the distinction for the brand and recognition. At least that makes sense to me for why they spent so much effort and attention to that sort of detail.
And I think that's why decorators and designers today are using these kinds of liquor bottles to add to a space, whether you're talking home, restaurant, or bar. Not long ago I was in an upscale bar that had interspersed these antique bottles with the real liquor bottles that they actually use to make customers drinks. It was quite interesting and nice looking.
Glass Liquor Bottles vs Plastic
From what I gather (no pun intended), most serious liquor bottle collectors prefer glass as opposed to plastic. The plastic miniatures are a recent phenomenon more for the convenience of the airline industry. Apparently, too, the plastic discolors over time and in certain lighting conditions.
Miniature liquor bottles
I hope you enjoyed the video about the liquor bottles collection.