Expert: Paul Wagner - 10/1/2007

Question
We have an unopened bottle of Geneva Gin from 1912. Where can I find the
value of it? Where can I sell it?

Answer
Hi Kenneth

Older bottles of distilled spirits don't usually have a high resale value, because they don't develop in the bottle the way fine wines do.  The alcohol levels protect them from almost any change.

So your gin won't be worth much to a gin lover--at least not much more than a bottle of gin from a current producer.

But you might check with bottle collectors--they often pay more for the bottle than a connoisseur would pay for its contents.  Check out antiquebottles.com for a place to start on that.  Unfortunately, I am an expert in beverages, not bottles!

It is illegal for private individuals to sell liquor in the USA.  ebay gets around this restriction by demanding that all liquor bottles be sold with a caveat that says they are being sold "not for consumption."  

Alternatively, you can contact someone like Sothebys auction house, which specializes in this kind of thing.

Hope that helps.

Paul Wagner