Roll Out the Ersatz Barrel

Left: a photo from the Stewart’s Beverages website; middle: a photo of Stewart’s sign in Vineland by Debra Jane Seltzer; right: our little brown jug of root beer

Recent high gas prices in the US may be putting the final nail in the coffin of American car culture (not to be confused with kustom kulture). So it was pleasantly nostalgic for us to pull over and have lunch at Stewart’s Old Fashioned Root Beer drive-in with tray service on Route 47 in Vineland, NJ. (Plus it was really hot and leaving two dogs in the car while we went in somewhere was not a good option.)

After root beer floats and a fast food lunch, the Mrs. asked the waitress about getting a larger quantity of root beer to go. While they didn’t have the prepackaged bottles we were expecting, what they did have was interesting. A brown plastic gallon jug, with a wooden texture meant to resemble a barrel. We had some concern whether draft soda from a soda fountain tap would stay carbonated, but it worked okay. (Although the pressure did make the bottom bulge out causing the jug to wobble around in the refrigerator like a Weeble.)

I'm noticing a lot of cross-referential packaging these days—(packages that are about other types of packages) Not only is their gallon jug a modern plastic pack made to resemble a ye old wooden barrel, their glass root beer bottle features an illustration of a glass mug made to resemble a ye old wooden barrel.

(See where the cars park after the jump...)

Another photo of Stewart’s in Vineland NJ by Roadside Architecture blogger, Debra Jane Seltzer

Randy Ludacer
Beach Packaging Design

Comments

[Tim Siedell]

I love Stewart's soda (including the root beer), but never knew there was a physical location. Very interesting. Thanks for the post.

[Randy Ludacer]

Tim, I didn't know it either until we saw this place on Route 47. Turns out, though, that there are a number of them. See this page:
http://www.agilitynut.com/eateries/stew.html

[Isabella]

Hi! the link posted by Randy Ludacer was really just what i needed! thanx very much to you guys! have a nice day