A Christmas Carol – Golden Oloroso Sherry

This unusual miniature bottle of was produced by

**Findlater Mackie Todd & Co. Ltd.**

, one of Britain's most historic wine and spirit merchants. The company was established in

**1823**

and became well known throughout the United Kingdom for supplying fine wines, spirits, and sherries.

The bottle features a portrait of the famous English author

**Charles Dickens**,

best known for writing

*A Christmas Carol*

first published in 1843. The Dickens theme makes this miniature particularly appealing not only to bottle collectors but also to collectors of literary and historical memorabilia.

The label carries the Royal Arms together with the wording:

**"By Appointment To Her Majesty The Queen Wine & Spirit Merchants"**

This indicates that Findlater Mackie Todd held a Royal Warrant during the reign of

**Queen Elizabeth II (1952–2022)**

a mark of prestige granted to companies supplying goods or services to the Royal Household.

Several features suggest that this miniature dates from approximately the

**late 1960s to mid-1970s**

including the traditional London W.1 address format, the style of the printed label, the branded foil capsule, and the absence of modern barcodes and metric labelling commonly found on later bottles.

An especially interesting feature is the bottle base, which is embossed with:

**"FINDLATER LONDON"**

This indicates that the bottle was produced specifically for Findlater Mackie Todd rather than using a generic miniature bottle. Collectors often regard embossed proprietary bottles as more desirable than standard examples.

The original foil capsule remains intact and is printed:

**"FINDLATERS SHERRY LONDON"**

The bottle also retains a high fill level and displays well for its age, making it an attractive example of a vintage miniature sherry bottle.

Oloroso Sherry is one of Spain's traditional fortified wines and was particularly popular in Britain during the Victorian era and throughout much of the twentieth century. The label's description:

**"The style of Wine drunk by our Forefathers"**

reflects the long-standing popularity of this classic sherry style.

This miniature bottle contains Fernet, a traditional herbal bitter spirit historically enjoyed as a digestif after meals. Fernet originated in Europe and became known for its distinctive blend of herbs, spices and botanical ingredients.

This miniature bottle contains Quetsch, a traditional French plum eau-de-vie produced from specially selected plums. The bottle was produced by Joseph Cartron, a historic French spirits company founded in 1882 and renowned for its fruit liqueurs and eaux-de-vie.