Pyrex Pitchers & Beverage Jugs   

All Pyrex juice pitchers and jugs are made of thin blown borosilicate, like laboratory ware.  Although this glass formula is famous for its heat resistance, in terms of mechanical strength it is more fragile than regular glass, and the thin-walled structure of these items increases that vulnerability.  Some of the older juice pitchers have no product warnings at all, but newer ones do, and in general the advice applies to all pitchers and jugs of any age.  

(Photo:  Beverage jug.  "For cold liquids only.  Do not use metal stirrer.  Not for freezer or rangetop use.")

The warning against hot beverages is not necessarily about the heat-resistant capabilities of the glass itself; in terms of glass composition, juice jugs are no different than Pyrex coffee carafes.  Instead this is a personal injury concern applicable to styles without a handle.  Since they are meant to be held around the neck for pouring, using these for hot beverages can result in burns. 

(Photo:  Pitcher with unusual up-turned handle.  This one is recommended for both hot and cold beverages.  Image from 1976 catalogue.)

Similarly this type of glass is resistant to cold as well, so the warning against freezer use relates to how liquid expands as it freezes.  Most pitchers are narrower at the top than the bottom, and if they are filled with liquid which is allowed to freeze solidly, they will crack from the outward pressure of the ice, not from the temperature itself.  
                         
Pyrex juice servers were introduced in 1958.  The first type was a flask-shaped juice bottle with a narrow neck and a level rim, available in two sizes: 1 Qt (8¾" tall) and 1½ Qt (9½" tall).  Although some unique shapes also would be manufactured during the 1960s, the original shape was the most common throughout this period.  Numerous patterns were offered and most are gold leaf designs.

Coloured patterns on this shape include turquoise diamonds & stars, and citrus slices in two colour schemes: oranges & lemons and lemons & limes.  The latter two debuted in 1968 and were related to Daisy and Verde, but variations on this pattern continued to appear through to the late 1980s on other types of juice jugs and pitchers.

(Photo right: 1 Qt lemons & limes, 1½ Qt gold leaf floral design.  The rim of this older style is perfectly level, rather than slanted upwards.)

(Photo left:  Gold patterns: Gold Puff and Campaigners, both are 1 Qt.  Image from brochure dating to about 1961.)
 
 
Open Handle Pitcher

Sizes:  1 Quart (7¼" tall); 1½ Qt (8½" tall)

Available patterns:  Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green, Undecorated with white backstamp, plus citrus slices (oranges & lemons, lemons & limes).
          
In 1972 the open handle juice pitcher was the first style to be compatible with Corelle, available for one or two years with these patterns.  Each came with a white plastic lid. 

Usually the pitchers were sold individually, but this type was also part of a Corelle-matching Sip 'N' Serve set which contained two pitchers and four Glas-Snaps.

(Photo:  Open-handle pitcher with matching Glas-Snap; image from 1972 advertisement.)

The shape first appeared in 1965, and initially it was available undecorated with a white backstamp.  With citrus slice patterns and a yellow plastic lid, it was part of Verde and Daisy, from 1968 to the early 1970s.  The handle is formed separately and then glued onto the pitcher.  A close examination can reveal excess dabs of adhesive in this area.
 
 
Juice Bottle, Slanted Rim 

Sizes:  1 Quart (8¼" tall); 1½ Qt (9¾" tall)

Available patterns:  Butterfly Gold, Snowflake Blue, Spring Blossom Green, Old Town Blue, plus citrus slices (oranges & lemons, all oranges, all lemons), and Green Floral.
       
The next type to co-ordinate with Corelle is the flask-shaped juice bottle with a slanted rim.  Exact dates are not known, but it must be from the period between 1973 and 1976.  Each came with a white plastic lid.

(Photo:  1½ Qt and 1 Qt slanted rim juice bottles, all oranges.)  Visit Replacements Ltd. for a photo of Old Town Blue.

This shape dates to at least 1970 when it was available in various citrus slices and Green Floral, and equipped with a yellow plastic lid. 

Style-wise, it is similar to the juice bottles made during the late 1950s and 1960s, but the most recognizable distinction is the angle of the rim.  In profile, the top rim of the older type is level, while the rim of the newer type slants upwards.  The older shape also has a very narrow neck, making it difficult to clean thoroughly, so the wider neck from the 1970s is an improvement on the original idea.
               
(Photo:  Green Floral Juice Bottles; image from 1970 catalogue.  Associated with Verde, this pattern pre-dates Corelle and despite the similarities, it isn't Spring Blossom Green.  The original label reveals that its correct name is Green Floral.) 


Beverage Jug, Smooth Neck

Sizes:  "1½ Qt" 56 oz (8¼" tall); "2 Qt" 72 oz (9½" tall)

Available patterns:  no spout - Butterfly Gold, Spring Blossom Green, Old Town Blue; with spout - citrus slices (oranges & lemons, all oranges).

This new larger shape without a spout seems to be from 1977 & 1978, when it debuted with Corelle patterns.  Each came with a white plastic lid.  Following its stint as a Pyrex Compatible, a spout was added to the beverage jug and it would be decorated with various citrus slices into the early 1980s.

72 oz Beverage Jugs with smooth neck and no spout: Old Town Blue, Butterfly Gold, Spring Blossom Green.  Two are filled with 72 oz of juice.  Image from 1978 brochure.
          
Initially the capacities were stated as 56 oz (1¾ Qt) and 72 oz (2¼ Qt), and they hold that amount comfortably.  They were re-labelled later as 1½ Qt and 2 Qt, without changing their size or shape.  But in practice both sizes hold one cup more than that.

(Photo:  "1½ Qt" 56 oz Beverage Jug with spout; image from 1981 catalogue.) 


Beverage Jug, Rippled Neck

Sizes:  1½ Qt (10½" tall); "1½ Qt" 56 oz (8¼" tall); "2 Qt" 72 oz (9½" tall)

Available patterns:  Country Cornflower (blue lid), Undecorated with white backstamp, Store 'N' Pour (beige lid), plus citrus slices (all lemons - with and without measuring lines).
             
At some point during the first half of the 1980s, the neck of the beverage jug transitioned from smooth to rippled, and the only pattern choice was lemon slices.  A third shape with a rippled neck also emerged, a very tall and narrow 1½ Qt size.  Originally it was decorated only with beige measuring lines, and named "Store 'N' Pour".

(Photo:  "2 Qt" 72 oz with lemon slices and tall & narrow 1½ Qt in Country Cornflower; lid not shown.  Both sizes were made for Country Cornflower.)

All Pyrex pitchers and beverage jugs were discontinued early 1986.  But they evidently returned to production within a few years since this style was made to match Country Cornflower which didn't launch until 1988.  It seems that only the large "2 Qt" 72 oz and the tall & narrow 1½ Qt were revived.  Lemon slices with measuring lines is another design found on these post-1986 beverage jugs.


Related Articles:

Winter Frost White (1970)
Spring Blossom Green (1970)
Snowflake Blue (1970)
Butterfly Gold (1970)
Old Town Blue (1973)
Country Cornflower (1988) 
Pyrex Store 'N' See Containers
1960 Pyrex Catalogue: Part One
1961 Leaflet: Pyrex Gifts
1968 Pyrex Leaflet: Part One
1970 Catalogue: Verde, Daisy
1972 Leaflet: Creative Glass by Corning