Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2018.002.001.A |
Object Name |
Box |
Title |
Pink Champale Box |
Description |
The object is a pink, black, and white rectangular box advertising Pink Champale. The top of the box is black, while the rest of the box is pink. On the front, on the far-left side, there is an image of a Pink Champale bottle in a clear bucket filled with ice. The bottle in the image is nearly identical to the actual bottles of Pink Champale inside the box, with two differences: the bottle in the image has condensation on it, and the left side of the label on the bottle in the image is torn. On the black portion of the front of the box, the inscription reads "PINK CHAMPALE." The word "PINK" is written in pink and is relatively small, while "CHAMPALE" is written in white and is much larger. To the right of the bottle image, on the pink portion of the box, there is a red inscription that reads, "VERY SPECIAL." Next to the inscription, there are two images of coupe-shaped glasses filled with a pink liquid, presumably Pink Champale. Below the glasses, on the bottom right side, there is a black inscription that reads, "SIX 7 OZ. SPLITS. CHAMPALE, INC. TRENTON, N.J. A COMPANY OF IROQUOIS BRANDS LTD." The handle of the box is black with an oval cutout in the center. On the top of the handle, there is a white inscription that reads, "SEVRE CHILLED LIKE CHAMPAGNE." The back of the box is exactly the same as the front. The black portion of the right side of the box features an inscription that reads "PINK CHAMPALE," with the word "PINK" in pink and small, and "CHAMPALE" in white and large, just like the front. The only difference between the logo on the right side and the one of the front and back is that "PINK" is positioned above "CHAMPALE" on the right side, rather than to the left of it. Below the black portion on the left side, there is an inscription that reads: "PARTY PUNCH. Over ice, pour Pink Champale. Add strawberries or other fruit in season. 10 to 16 servings." The words "PARTY PUNCH" are written in red, while the rest of the text is in black. Below the inscription, there is an image of a clear cylindrical punch bowl filled with ice and pink liquid, presumably Pink Champale. Surrounding the punch bowl are four images of clear cylindrical glasses filled with the same pink liquid. To the right of the punch bowl, there is an image of a clear glass filled with ice and pink liquid, garnished with a slice of yellow lemon. Below the glass, there is an inscription that reads, "Go 'ON-THE-ROCKS.' Pink Champale can take it because the delicate flavor stands up to ice. So try it this different way. Add a twist or slice of lemon if you like." The words "GO 'ON-THE-ROCKS'" are written in red, while the rest of the inscription is in black. A word appears to be written between 'this' and 'different,' but it is illegible. The left side of the box has a similar inscription to the right side, but the images and text below the black portion differ. The left side features two images of clear cylindrical glasses and a pitcher filled with ice, lemon slices, and pink liquid (presumably Pink Champale). The pitcher also has a clear straw coming out of the top. Below the pitcher and glasses, there is an inscription that reads, "SAN JUAN SUNRISE. This one comes up like thunder! Over ice, fill a pitcher 1/3 full with orange or pineapple juice. Add Pink Champale. Garnish with slices of fresh fruit. Ideal for parties and all festive occasions." The words "SAN JUAN SUNRISE" are written in red, and the rest of the inscription is in black. On the right side, the inscription reads, "PINK CHAMPALE COCKTAIL. Serve in a chilled stemmed glass. Add one maraschino cherry, one lump of sugar, and one dash of Angostura to chilled Pink Champale. Sweet 'n lovely." The words "PINK CHAMPALE COCKTAIL" are written in red, while the rest of the inscription is in black. Below the inscription, there are two images of clear coupe-shaped glasses filled with cherries and pink liquid, presumably Pink Champale. The top of the box is open, revealing the inside. The inside is mostly brown, with some white areas. It is divided into six sections by one vertical and two horizontal pieces of cardboard. The bottom of the box is white. There is an inscription on the left side that reads, "N. ZUMBIEL," with the word "ZUMBIEL" written horizontally and upside down. On the back right side, there is a series of black letters: "D. E. F. G. H. I. S. K." These letters are written sideways. Below the letters, there are a series of vertical lines, and beneath the lines, a barcode appears. To the right of the barcode, the number "0" is displayed, followed by the numbers "1860020262." According to Elina Shatkin of LA Weekly and Jeff Edelstein of the Trentonian, the Metropolis Brewing Company began manufacturing Champale in 1939. Champale is a type of malt liquor made with yeasts traditionally used in winemaking. The company later changed its name to Champale Inc. Champale was primarily marketed to African Americans and offered several varieties, including Extra Dry, Pink, and Gold Champale. When in operation, the brewing of Champale produced an unpleasant odor around the factory. The Trenton factory eventually closed in 1986. Over the following decades, ownership of Champale changed multiple times, and as of 2024, it is owned by Pabst. Citations Edelstein, J. (2021, August 28). It’s Time to Make America Champale Again. Trentonian. https://www.trentonian.com/2016/06/21/jeff-edelstein-its-time-to-make-america-champale-again/ Shatkin, E. (2019, May 23). Champale: The Champagne of Malt Liquors. LA Weekly. https://www.laweekly.com/champale-the-champagne-of-malt-liquors-video/ |
Year Range from |
1939 |
Year Range to |
1986 |
Material |
Cardboard |
Artist |
Champale |
Height (in) |
6.500 |
Length (in) |
7.250 |
Width (in) |
4.625 |
Condition |
Poor |
Condition Notes |
Overall: Tears, creases, and scratches throughout. Front: The edges of the box are town slightly. There are multiple creases on the right side. There are multiple scratches on top of the box. There is a severe tear on the lower right corner. Right Side: There is a severe tear on the lower left corner. There is a crease near the lower left corner. There is a crease near the upper right corner. And finally, there are scratches all over. Back: There is slight tearing all along the edges. Also, there is a crease near the upper right corner. Left Side: There is a small crease near the lower left corner. Also, there are multiple creases near the upper right corner. Bottom: There is dirt all over the bottom. Also, there is tearing near the lower right corner. Bottom: There are creases where the bottles were placed. There is dirt all over. And finally, there is severe tearing all over the right side. |
Inscription Type |
Manufacturer's Mark |
Inscription Location |
Front+Back, Top to Bottom, Left to Right |
Inscription Technique |
Stamped |
Inscription Text |
"SERVE CHILLED LIKE CHAMPAGNE" Line 1 "PINK CHAMPALE" Line 2 "VERY SPECIAL" Line 3 "SIX 7 OZ SPLITS" Line 4 "CHAMPALE, INC. TRENTON, N.J." Line 5 "A COMPANY OF IROQUOIS BRANDS LTD" Line 6 Manufacturer's Mark Stamped Right Side, Top to Bottom, Left to Right "PINK" Line 1 "CHAMPALE" Line 2 "PARTY PUNCH" Line 3 "Over ice, pour Pink Champale. Add straw-" Line 4 "berries or other fruit in season. 10 to 16" Line 5 "servings." Line 6 "GO "ON-THE-ROCKS"" Line 7 "Pink Champale can take it because the deli-" Line 8 "cate flavor stands up to ice. So try it this" Line 9 "different way. Add a twist or slice of" Line 10 "lemon if you like" Line 11 Manufacturer's Mark Stamped Left Side, Top to Bottom, Left to Right "PINK" Line 1 "CHAMPALE" Line 2 "PINK CHAMPALE COCKTAIL" Line 3 "Serve in a chillded stemmed glass. Add one." Line 4 "maraschino cherry, one lump of sugar, and" Line 5 "one dash of angostura to chilled Pink" Line 6 "Champale. Sweet 'n lovely." Line 7 "SAN JUAN SUNRISE" Line 8 "This one comes up like thunder! Over ice" Line 9 "fill a pitcher 1/3 full with orange or pineap-" Line 10 "ple juice. Add Pink Champale Garnish" Line 11 "with slices of fresh fruit. Ideal for parties" Line 12 "and all festive occasions." Line 13 Inscription Stamped Bottom, Center, Left to Right "D E F G H I J K" Line 1 "N ZUMBIEL O" Line 2 "1860020262" Line 3 |
Classification |
Business & Commerce |
Subjects |
Water Drinking vessels Alcoholic beverages Liquor stores Liqueurs Glass Glassware Glass industry Fruit Fruit juices Fruit industry Lemons Cherries Oranges Pineapples Sugar Sugar industry Unicorns Boxes |
Search Terms |
Champale Alcohol Liquor Box 20th Century 1939 1986 Trenton NJ New Jersey 20th Century Metropolis Brewing Company Pabst Gold Pink Extra Dry Red Elizabeth Yull Small Oranges Cherries Pineapple Lemon Yellow Bowl Cup Coupe Pitcher Straw D E F G H I J K 1860020262 Iroquois Brands Glass Champagne Chilled Pink Champale Box |
Provenance |
This item was donated to the library by Elizabeth Yull. It became apart of the Museum Collection in March of 2018. |