One of the exhibits in the Kótlas Museum is this thin glass bottle with a thin long neck. On the neck, there is a label with the words ‘English bitters’, and on the body, a label reading ‘English bitters of the suppliers of His Imperial Majesty’s Court in 1912. N.L. Shústov’s Partnership with Moscow’. English bitters were poured into these bottles. The volume of the bottle is a quarter of a damask, or 1/40 of a bucket. This is approximately 0.31 liters. The bottle is 24 centimeters high.
The bottle was made specifically for the Shústov and Sons partnership, which produced alcoholic beverages. Its founder was entrepreneur Nikolai Shústov (1813–1898), one of the most prolific alcohol producers during the Russian Empire at the end of the 19th century. The entrepreneur was known for bold advertising of his products. He hired students who, when visiting taverns, demanded to be served Shústov’s vodka. If it was not there, the students started a brawl, which thus increased interest in Shústov vodka. Nikolai Shústov’s father, Leonty Shust, was a merchant of the third guild. He collected recipes for various liqueurs and tinctures, which were kept in monasteries and the houses of some families. He gifted the collected recipes to his son Nikolai.
The bottle was made specifically for the Shústov and Sons partnership, which produced alcoholic beverages. Its founder was entrepreneur Nikolai Shústov (1813–1898), one of the most prolific alcohol producers during the Russian Empire at the end of the 19th century. The entrepreneur was known for bold advertising of his products. He hired students who, when visiting taverns, demanded to be served Shústov’s vodka. If it was not there, the students started a brawl, which thus increased interest in Shústov vodka. Nikolai Shústov’s father, Leonty Shust, was a merchant of the third guild. He collected recipes for various liqueurs and tinctures, which were kept in monasteries and the houses of some families. He gifted the collected recipes to his son Nikolai.
