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Take a step back to the golden age of corner drugstore soda fountains with this pristine 1940s–early 1950s KIST 10-ounce bottle, one of the most iconic survivors from Chicago’s Citrus Products Company. Founded in 1919, Kist was America’s second-oldest orange soda (beaten only by Orange Crush) and quickly became a nationwide favorite for its bright, real-citrus sparkle and clever “kissed with flavor” marketing. During WWII, ads proudly boasted that every bottle delivered a burst of vitamin C to keep America strong, while drive-in carhops in bobby socks delivered icy Kist to rumbling Chevy Bel Airs under neon lights.
This classic ribbed clear glass bottle wears its bold red-and-white applied color label (ACL) that was baked right into the glass—permanent, vibrant, and built to last decades. The trademark Art Deco stripes, cheerful “Enjoy KIST” circle, and proud “Bottled under license from Citrus Products Co. Chicago Ill.” text are all fired-on color, not paper. The raised script “KIST” is embossed twice—once on the shoulder and once near the heel—so the name stayed recognizable from California soda stands to Midwest drive-ins long after lesser labels faded.
By the 1950s Kist was everywhere: orange, grape, lemon, ginger ale, root beer, and even the legendary Chocolate Soldier all poured from bottles just like this one. Soldiers overseas begged for care packages of Kist, jukeboxes played big-band tunes while teens shared a cold bottle on a Saturday night, and the familiar “psssst” of the crown cap opening was the soundtrack of postwar optimism.
This exact ACL style vanished when the company was sold in 1965 and the brand slowly disappeared from U.S. shelves.
Now a cherished piece of soda-pop history, this bottle displays beautifully in a kitchen window, on a bar cart, or among vintage advertising collections. Excellent condition with vivid fired-on color, only honest light wear, and no chips or cracks—ready to bring a genuine slice of 1940s–50s Americana to your home. A true time capsule from the days when “Make it a KIST!” meant summer had officially arrived.
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