Community Finds: Eric’s Uncovering of an Ultra-Rare NYC “Wilken’s Pure Old Whiskey” Medicinal Pint
Every so often, a piece of Prohibition history surfaces that leaves even seasoned collectors scratching their heads. A reader named Eric sent over a pair of photos featuring a bottle I have quite literally never seen before. It is a stunning, incredibly uncommon prescription pint of Wilken’s Pure Old Whiskey, complete with its original checkerboard carton.
Decoding the Unique “Wilken’s” Label
What makes this bottle so odd and captivating is its stark, almost minimalist presentation compared to the ornate, gilded liquor labels of the pre-Prohibition era. It reads simply: “Wilken’s Pure Old Whiskey, Distilled by Harry E. Wilken, Bottled in Bond.”
If the name Harry E. Wilken rings a bell, it’s because he became a household name after Repeal. In the mid-1930s, Schenley launched the massively popular, budget-friendly “Wilken Family” blended whiskey, using Harry (a lifelong Pennsylvania and Kentucky distiller) and his sons as the folksy, homespun faces of the brand.
But this pint captures Harry Wilken’s independent distilling legacy before he became a Schenley corporate icon.
Reading the History on the Glass and Stamp
By zooming in on the green federal tax stamp we can trace the exact journey this liquid took through the regulatory gauntlet of the dry laws:
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The Distillation: The whiskey was distilled in the Fall of 1917, right before the wartime prohibition acts began choking off independent distilling operations.
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The Incarceration: Once the 18th Amendment went into effect in 1920, this whiskey was legally trapped in a government-monitored warehouse.
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The Bottling: The stamp shows it was finally approved and Bottled in the Spring of 1924 for medicinal distribution.
The New York Concentration Warehouse Connection
Turning the bottle around reveals an exceptional “Caution Notice” back label that tells us exactly where this bottle spent its final days. It was bottled at U.S.I.R. Concentration Bonded Warehouse No. 26 (also listed as Special Bonded Warehouse No. 2), located at Beach and Varick Streets in New York, N.Y. under Permit N.Y. P-2.
In 1922, the federal government passed the Concentration Act to combat bootleggers who were constantly raiding isolated rural warehouses. The government forced the consolidation of millions of gallons of whiskey into a few dozen heavily guarded urban fortresses. The Beach and Varick warehouse in lower Manhattan became a massive hub for distributing medicinal spirits to New York druggists.
Finding this distinct, early-Prohibition “First Quality” checkerboard box entirely intact with the original window cutout is a massive win. Finding it paired with a pre-Schenley Harry Wilken distillate makes Eric’s submission an incredible addition to the historical record of medicinal spirits.
A massive thank you to Eric for sharing this unrecorded survivor with us!
Did you find a mysterious Prohibition pint?
If you’ve stumbled across a rare medicinal bottle or a piece of forgotten local distilling history, let’s break down the labels together. Pop over to our updated Whiskey Bottle Evaluation Form to upload your multi-file photos!
