Brown Belle Bottling Co.

The Brown Belle Bottling Company was a soft-drink manufacturer and bottler founded by A. G. Gaston in 1938. The company marketed several beverages, including "The Joe Louis Punch", named for the boxing champion. It was managed by Arthur Gaston, Jr and Thomas Gardner and located on the 1500 block of 4th Avenue North.

The drinks were sold in 7 ounce green bottles bearing brown and yellow labels.

To market the brand, Gaston sponsored "Miss Brown Belle" contests and had pictures of brown-skinned beauties such as Marion Haynes and Florence Evans painted on the company's delivery trucks. Despite strong initial sales, however, the operation was plagued by thefts, not only of receipts, but also of sugar and syrup which was believed to have been diverted to illegal stills. When the office safe was stolen in a burglary the company lost the records it would need to defend itself in a lawsuit over the company's trade mark. In 1950, with $60,000 in debts, Gaston decided pay off creditors himself and close the business.