Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Winona, Minnesota, the last producer of Coca-Cola in returnable 6 1/2 oz glass bottles (the iconic Coke bottle) in the United States, will be making a final production run on Tuesday, October 9, 2012.
This is the end of an era.
Filled individual bottles from this run will be sold beginning October 15th at the bottling plant at 102 Franklin St., in Winona.
Bottles are priced at $20 each, and all proceeds will be donated to the Lake Winona Bicycle and Pedestrian Path. These are vintage bottles. All predate 1960, and have been in circulation. Expect some character (scuffs and other imperfections).
We are working on a way to distribute bottles by mail, and will have more details on this website shortly. Please check back.
Email questions: cokewnmn@hbci.com
The Final Run took place today, October 9, 2012. Here are a few photos.
The last bottle was auctioned to the attendees, and sold for $2000. You’ll be able to pick yours up at the plant next week, or order one (when we’ve posted the order form).
Coca-Cola Winona MN 
Hello, I am an avid Coca Cola collector and would really like to purchase 2x bottles. However, I am based in the UK but I am happy to pay the cost of the best postage to make sure they arrive in one piece and cost of any packages/boxes. Is this possible? Thanks
Yes, International Shipping is available for avid vintage Coke fans like you, Benjamin!
Please link to our shipper:
pacnmailexpress@gmail.com
for details.
Hi Guys – glad to hear that you’re able to send them out by mail. Would love to pick some up for family. What happens to the old bottle crates?
All orders of 24 bottles will come in a vintage wooden shell. We will not otherwise be selling the shells at this time.
Sirs:
I would also like to purchase say 6 bottles please let me know how I may do this?
Thanks
Stanley Johnson
We are working on the order form.
Please check this website early next week.
Thanks.
This is definately for a good cause, what a great story to bad its the end of an ara will definately buy a few bottles when they become available for sale!
Hi I looked the pictures with the red and the white printed collars around the neck of the bottle will they come together with the mail order? Are they two different collars or just flipped sides?
A red and white hang tag will come with each bottle (one tag, flipped sides red/white). Thanks for the inquiry.
Will you be shipping to Canada at all? I would love to pick up a few bottles for a good cause!
Cheers,
Ian O.
Hi, Ian,
We’ve received several inquiries about international shipping and we are looking into it. Please check this website next week.
Thanks,
Coca-Cola Winona
What time will you start selling them on the 15th?
The Plant opens at 8 a.m.
Will you also be selling the wooden flats that were used to transport them?
All orders of 24 bottles will come in a vintage wooden shell. We will not otherwise be selling the shells at this time.
is the bigger bottles going to be affected afso?? i have two empty cases and two of the bigger coke empty packs…thanks,Tony Chippewa Falls,WI
We are no longer producing any size returnable bottles. You may return your empties for a refund of your deposit.
thats too bad….for the past 7 years i really have enjoyed making the trip to enjoy the soda in the glass….but i understand with cost and all…that you for the great memories and im sure soon i will be returning the bottles ;(…Tony
I come from a family of coke lovers. One thing for sure the unique taste in those little 6.5 oz bottles were the BEST. I’ve found the only place to find the 6.5 oz bottles were in the Mom & Pop stores. It know its crazy but I would actually get excited when I seen them.
Thank you Coca Cola for a great product in the perfect little 6.5 oz glass bottle as long as you did.
PS: I’m happy to have shared a few with my children and grandchildren with or without a bag if salty peanuts. Heartbroken in Alabama.
Thanks for your kind words and the story of your love of “little Coke”. We’ll miss it too.
I completely agree…..the coke from them wasent so sweet and strong like the other coke is..it never bothered my stomach…well im glad that myselif and my friend took the trips we did in the past 7 years to enjoy these treats 🙂
Marcy,
Iwould like to purchase a couple of bottle My uncle had a Coke operation in Glasgow Montana and my brother and mother collected coke stuff
Please check back on Monday, 10/15/12 — the order form should be up on the site by then.
Great historic gifts for your brother and mother!
Gonna miss my old friend. Coca-cola of Winona was for sure my ‘happiness factory’. Tell the boys there I found Clipper’s Foodliner in Whitehall, Wi. after I left the plant on 9-20 with what I was able to buy. I was able to pick up five cases of 16-oz bottles. Luckily I had the empties with me to exchange. Long ride back to Sheboygan,Wi. But with 10 cases rattling all the way home in the back seat of my Dodge MegaCab I kept sing ‘it’s the real thing’ but not with a dry eye.
My check is in the mail!
Such a bittersweet time, especially for me as both a Coca-Cola collector and Coke historian. I publish the Cola Conquest magazine and had the chance to tour the Winona Plant two summers ago. The story I wrote about the Winona Plant is still one of my favorites. So much history within those walls.
Blair Matthews, http://www.colaconquest.com
Wow!! Got my order, quick. Thank you so much for this opportunity to be a part of Coca-Cola history and also for the wonderful work that will be done in your community. Good luck to you all and God bless.
Thanks for your warm wishes, Linda!
I just found the article about the last run of Coke bottles from the Star Tribune on Oct 13 in a pile of clippings I’d saved. Have all the bottles been sold? I will definitely place an order if some are still available. I treasure the glass bottles I collected when I was young and worked for a travel agency, with Coca Cola printed on them in Chinese, Arabic and from Thailand. Am sorry never to have gotten one with Russian on it,
Thanks for your reply.
Are any ofthe bottles still available?
yes, still a few cases available — please use the order form on this website