Christian was 7 years old when he began collecting miniature bottles, after he was given a half empty bottle as a gift from his father. His interest in bottles, likely stems from his great-great-grandfather who established the venerable Ringnes Brewery in 1877.

Christian Ringnes Sr. also frequently brought back miniature bottles from his foreign business trips, so that Christian Jr. could add to his collection. His boyhood room was sketched in 1971 and the collection was also registered in the “Bottle book for Ivar Aasensvei 28 and nearby surroundings”, which is Christian’s notebook and now one of the museum’s most prised possessions. The collection continued well into his marriage and his wife Denise was understanding enough, but not particularly keen on the mini bottles Christian insisted on decorating the couple’s first apartment with.  An unlucky event and the shelves fell down from the wall. It is said that Denise was particularly happy that day. The bottles were packed away and after Denise asked him to find himself a hobby; he decided to turn his dream into a reality. In 1996, Christian Ringnes purchased the building at Kirkegaten 10, in the heart of Oslo’s museum district.  The museum project began in spring 2000 and the doors first opened in May 2003.