Bottle, Soda, NEHI GINGER ALE, full

Genuine WWII US NEHI GINGER ALE soda glass bottle, bottled in Columbus, Georgia. 

Capacity: 9 oz (about 25 cl).

Very good overall condition, full bottle. 

"Nehi" was founded in 1924 by Claud A. Hatcher, a pharmacist and grocer from Columbus, Georgia, who had entered the soft drink business nearly two decades earlier. Hatcher initially developed bottled beverages in the basement of his family's wholesale grocery store, starting with ginger ale and root beer in 1905, before establishing the Union Bottling Works to expand production. By 1912, the company had rebranded to Chero-Cola, focusing on a cola-style drink that faced legal challenges from the Coca-Cola Company over naming, prompting further evolution. Seeking to diversify amid these pressures and rising sugar costs, Hatcher launched Nehi as a new line of fruit-flavored soft drinks through the Chero-Cola Company (formerly known as the Union Bottling Works), to compete with established national brands like Coca-Cola.

The name "Nehi," pronounced "knee-high," was inspired by the product's distinctive tall bottles, which stood 12 inches high—twice the height of typical 6-inch soda bottles at the time—evoking a playful and accessible image for the fruit-flavored beverages. This branding choice aimed to make the sodas stand out visually on shelves and appeal to a broad audience, including children, by suggesting the bottle reached "knee-high" on an average person. The initial lineup featured vibrant flavors such as grape, orange, and peach, marking Nehi's entry into the growing market for non-cola soft drinks.