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JOSEPH DUDENHOEFER : SUNNY CASTLE STOMACH BITTERS

First a little about Joseph Dudenhoefer older brother Jacob Dudenhoefer. Jacob was born in a village in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany in May 21 1842. He would locate to Milwaukee in 1869. He was a traveling salesman of wholesale wine & liquors for 12 years working for the L. Fuldner Company. In 1880 he would start his own business in whole wine & liquors. His establishment was located at 339 Grove street and 339 First ave. The company grew at a raped rate and he would become one of the biggest business in the city at that time. His Company was called Jacob Dudenhoeffer Co. He would be in business until March 2 1901. Listed below is some of his brands he produced. Bonfield Whiskey, Hunting and Fishing Club, three Star Brandy, Monogram Whiskey, Sunny Castle, Tara’s Hall, Elmbrook Whiskey, Kara Tonic, Tonical Herb Bitters, Yellow Springs and Night Hawk.

Joseph Dudenhoefer who’s name is on the bottle shows up in the City Directory in 1901 to 1905 and Joseph Dudenhoefer Co. from 1912 to 1918. He was listed as a wines & liquor wholesaler . The address was 367 - 369 11th Street. Some of his brands were Blue River, Pater Oschwald, Sunny Castle Rye and Tara’s Hall. The embossing on the Sunny Castle Bitters bottle reads as SUNNY CASTLE / STOMACH BITTERS / JOS. DUDENHOEFER / MILWAUKEE. The H became S and the peened out N is discernible around the dots. This bottle is listed as being scarce. Below is a photo of this bottle.

sunny_1..sunny castle label

The confusion is that its listed that Jacob made the Sunny Castle Stomach Bitters and that Joseph made the Sunny Castle Rye. Also there is a listing that a Jacob was still making Bonfields Whiskey in 1918. When supposing he was out of business in 1901. The label reads that the first name is Jos. and the address is 367 - 371 11th Street.

References:

History of Milwaukee

Bitters Bottle Carlyn Ring & W.C. Ham.

www.pre-pro.com

Milwaukee city Directories

Frank & Frank Jr. (Wicker) Bottle Collection.

sunny a

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