Age-old trade suffers bottleneck

Only a handful of shops still selling unique vessels of yore


Asif Mehmood September 28, 2019
Some of the bottles are at least 50 years old, including empty vessels of traditional Indian and locally produced wines. PHOTO: FILE

LAHORE: Once they were a common site in the provincial capital, but not just a handful of shops remain that sell empty liquor bottles near Gawalmandi Chowk.

These shops also have standard empty glass bottles that are available at low prices and others of different designs previously used contain alcoholic drinks or beer. Over the last few years, the number of shops selling used bottles and their stocks has diminished significantly.

Regardless, those that remain sell a unique array of bottles in terms of their texture and well-defined design.

Some of the bottles are at least 50 years old, including empty vessels of traditional Indian and locally produced wines. It seems there is no discrimination when it comes to buyers’ preferences.

Mohammad Azim, a shopkeeper, says the sale of these bottles increases during the summer. The season is also a time when there is a shortage of bottles at the shops. “The reason for the shortage is mainly due to a decrease in alcohol consumption during the summer in Pakistan.”

Most of these bottles are acquired from large hotels and junk shops, while many locals also come to sell rare bottles, he adds.

Shops razed to the ground

He maintains that simple or ordinary bottles sell from Rs20 to Rs30 at his shop, but the alcohol bottles are priced higher due to their unique look and shape. “Many bottles are sold at a good price and can be used as a decoration piece.”

Ashraf Ali, who has been keeping shop for a longer time, confirms that some customers even buy these bottles for decoration or used them as planters. Others use them for storing vinegar.

“The bottles of wine are used by herbalists, people who sell ice candy and syrup-makers during the summer.”

The wine bottles are also purchased by students of fine arts who use them for painting, he adds. “Shopkeepers and buyers, looking for unique bottles, have to look really hard among piles of others and they often find good ones.”

The shopkeepers and janitor sell at least 40 to 50 old bottles daily. Locally-made bottles can easily be found at these shops, while those that are broken are placed atop walls for security purposes.

In the past, these bottles were crushed into powder form and used for making kite strings. The sale of empty bottles of alcohol that have a common design has declined significantly.

One of the reasons behind the decline is that the Punjab Food Authority has banned the refilling of milk bottles and other beverages. The use of plastic bottles has also increased significantly over the years.

A young buyer named Sufyan says he has come to the shop from a distant area and needs four or five rare types of bottles to place in his drawing-room. “I will put various plants in these bottles for decoration.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2019.

COMMENTS (2)

Tooba | 1 year ago | Reply Can u plz provide location of these shops we also want to buy some bottles for our craft work but unable to find shops . So kindly share location of these shops thank u .
Asif Mastoi | 2 years ago | Reply I need used empty wine bottles impoted and local nice shape where can i buy
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