Your probably correct in your assumption that the container held spirits.
"German" ale to be specific. Refer to Cecil Munsey's The Illustrated
Guide to Collecting Bottles (1970, Hawthorne Boks, New York). There
is also the possibility that they contained ink as well, usually those
containers were shorter and less volume. Also Try Toulouses' Bottle
Makers and their Marks (1971, Thomas Nelson, New York).
Tad