Village Candy
344 Beaver Street
Sewickley PA
412.741.1490
Tues - Sat 10-5
Wed til 8
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Greetings fellow candy lover!
It's hard to believe we're already in the middle of the summer of '08, but one step outside into the stickiness is a quick reminder. There's something about the electricity in the air just before an imminent thunderstorm swoops in, the flickering of fireflies (a.k.a. lightening bugs) and the taste of sweet corn, burgers and watermelon that reawakens memories of summers past. It seemed like an endless freedom, full of adventures, friendships, skinned knees, poison ivy and sensual saturation. Check out Stand By Me and you'll know what I mean.
Reignite some of those indelible mindpics by strolling through our old-fashioned candy or chugging an Orange Crush, or add defining details to the ones in process by bringing your kids in for an experience. Some of my most intensely savory memories are from ancient candy store visits, and it's a rarity to still have that opportunity. You'll get to live that wonderment again through your children's eyes...
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Cooler Times
A report on all things sodarific: what's new in the fridge (besides my now moldy lunch), tastings and interesting tidbits from the world of effervescence.
Advanced Notice - Upcoming Tasting!
 OK, devoted Candygram readers. Here's an opportunity to be "in the know," to one-up those illiterate nonsubscribing losers (actually, they probably just don't know what they're missing - that's why you must tell them by clicking the blue link at the bottom of this newsletter and spread the cheer). On Saturday, August 23, we'll once again be hosting a pop tasting, this time featuring Cream Soda. Cream is mean, and there are some wild ones out there, er, in here. We'll give you a good taste (just like we did last September) and we'll try to mix things up a bit. After all, we have over 20 in "the cellar!"
What, you say you've never heard of a soda tasting, let alone been to one? Here's the process for all you newbies (if you've been to a tasting before, you can skip this gigundo paragraph): You'll RSVP for this unique event (you must, and you will). Or you can just email Village Candy that you would like to be in da house (though attendance is mandatory), and let us know how many will be in your party (or group if you're no fun). If it's just you, no problemo - if this candygram was addressed to a "Ms." - what are you doing after the tasting? We'll send you a confirmation email, and some time before the event we'll email you a ballot with a list of 8-10 sodas we'll be sampling. You'll arrive punctually at 5:30 (we'll synchronize our timepieces beforehand) on the heretofore mentioned day (8/23 for those with short-term memory loss) with a copy of the ballot you will have previously printed in hand, which will also act as your event confirmation. You'll mingle with other sodasnobs (unless you're a loner, in which case you'll just sip and stare at your shoes). You'll get to sample each of the sodas (hey you! no drinking from the bottle). You'll have some pretzels or chips or whatever happens to sound good that week (unless, you're on a diet, in which case you shouldn't even be here since we're not in the habit of sampling diet sodas, but what the heck, live a little). You'll have a chance to purchase some of the soda you hated (if you're masochistic) or loved (if you're self-pampering), some you didn't try or some candy or, in actuality, anything in the store. You'll write down your top three favorites on the previously mentioned ballot and turn it in (anonymously, if you must, but then you'll miss out on the chance to win a prize). We'll tally the results on an abacus and email you the standings. Complaints and kudos are welcome.
New Pops (i.e., Pop News)
We're
looking forward to our upcoming addition of Bawls G33k  B33r (an energy root
beer from the well-regarded folks at Bawls Guarana) any day.
 We also have a customer favorite back on the shelf - Sprecher Root Beer. Check out last week's New York Times article on Root Beer. We stock 8 of the 10 they sampled.
One of the best ways to beat the summer heat is with a frosty  cold fruit-flavored soda (and the colors are so pretty to look at through the sweat on the bottle). Pour one of these beauties (like the Frostie Cherry Limeade pictured at right), add a wee umbrella, and you're all set for a summer scorcher. We have over 20 individual fruity pops like Drizzle Banana and Waialua Mango, not even counting our mini-categories of black cherry, orange, lemon/lime, Crush in five flavors, or Ramune.
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Independence Day is, well, July 4
Don't Forget M&Ms and Jelly Bellys
in Revolutionary Colors - Create your own star-spangled mix
Fran's Chocolates On Sale!
 Fran's Chocolates are a taste of heaven. Oprah (last names are so passé) said in O Magazine "I can't decide whether I prefer the milk chocolate caramels with a
sprinkling of smoked salt or the dark chocolate caramels with a pinch
of gray sea salt. All I know is that a little bit of salt brings out
the sweet in both." We have them (the smoked salt are pictured in the lemongrass box), along with a Milk & Dark Caramel/Nut Gift Box (a 21 piece selection of Fran's Classic Caramels, award-winning salted caramels and organic Almond Trios dipped in dark and milk chocolate), and a 6 piece box of Dark Chocolate Imperiale Truffles. And all have been reduced 30% to make way for some new chocolate inventory ordered at this week's Fancy Food Show.
New Asher's Chocolate Cookie
 What could be better than a sandwich cookie that rhymes with S'moreo? How about a milk chocolate-dipped "S'moreo? K, so Asher's isn't using the actual name, but (wink, wink) who cares when it tastes this good? The dipping thing kinda prevents you from prying apart the halves to tongue out the cream, but one bite of these individually wrapped babies and you'll inhale the remainder pretty quickly anyway.
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New Arrivals by the Truckful
Meet and Greet the Ginger People
 The taste of ginger isn't for everyone (though a lot more people would realize it's fantastic if they'd just give it a try). But many health experts are convinced of its healthful qualities. We've added to our Ginger People offerings with their original sweet chews, now in bags, tins, boxes and travel packs (since they're a natural remedy for motion-sickness). Also new to the mix are Hot Coffee Ginger Chews. By combining real coffee with the warming properties
of fresh ginger, this new candy cleverly mimics a hot cup of coffee. Inspired
by Indonesia's traditional ginger coffee drink (Kopi Jahe), these new treats are made from the finest Arabica coffee beans from
East Java. To be honest, ginger and coffee didn't sound like a great combo to me, but I ripped into the first bag we received and they're truly delicious and quite addictive. Come in for a sample!
100 Grand Bar
The 100 Grand Bar, introduced in 1966, was inspired by a hot TV quiz show from the late 50s called The Big Surprise, where contestants chose a subject and had to answer ten questions ranging in value from $100 to $100,000. In 1984, Nestle changed the candy from one piece to two pieces, and in 1985 the name became the 100 Grand Bar.
Expanded Bagged M&M® Section
Individually-colored M&Ms® are extremely popular (and  unique) at Village Candy. But customers continue to ask for other varieties of this "melt in your mouth not in your hand" favorite. So in response, we've created an area next to the 21-color "My M&Ms®" display to show off all variations, including new Wildly Cherry, Peanut, Dark Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Peanut, Almond (pictured above left), Peanut Butter, and Minis. Are ya satisfied now?
New Treats from Jelly Belly®
The great product conjurers at Jelly Belly® are constantly  inventing new, great-tasting variations of their gourmet treat, along with different packaging options. We've offered a 30 flavor mix in clear seven ounce cans in the past, and now we've added a larger 49 flavor mix in a 12 ounce clear can. BTW, that's the late Rosemary Clooney's nephew, done up in Jelly Belly art!
Sport Beans have also been a big hit, and now they've come out with "Extreme" Sport Beans with caffeine, in Watermelon and Cherry. Also new is the Cold Stone Ice Cream Parlor Mix, available in 3 ounce bags, containing five Cold Stone® Creamery-inspired flavors: Chocolate Devotion™, Our
Strawberry Blonde™, Birthday Cake Remix™, Apple Pie a la Cold Stone®
and Mint Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip®. Junior Mints Deluxe
Arriving from the folks at Tootsie Roll are Junior Mints  Deluxe, a larger format Junior Mint covered in dark chocolate. They look almost identical to Cella Chocolate Cherries (which Tootsie also makes), making them more of a two-biter.
Pez Pirates of the Carribbean
New to the Pez shelf is the Pirates of the Carribbean  collection, taking its place just next to Kung Fu Panda. Also coming inJuly (not sure if we'll get it) is an eight character Winnie the Pooh Gift Set. Soon after will be a Disney Fairies collection (Tinkerbell, Silvermist and Iradessa) and a Star Trek Original Crew Gift Set (coming a few months before the new Star Trek Movie).
Novelties Just In
I'll spare you the pictures this time...
Check out the "New Arrivals" table for Super Blaster, Snake Spray, Sour Soda Pop, Spray Pop, Barnyard Candy-filled Animals, Beach Buggy, Weirds, Candy Checkers and Gummi Wrist Bands (with messages!).
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BTP (by the pound) Candy Corner
(a small corner this month)
Dairy Cream Butter Toffee & Chocolate
We now have the  original Jersey Butter Toffee Cows and
Chocolate Cows in our bulk bin. These buttery smooth creamy confections are along the lines of the Werthers brand, only better. Come in and give one a try!
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It's Candy Alphabet!
 Get ready for another round of the heart-pounding Candy Alphabet. Email your best guess as to what candy is pictured at left for a chance to win a prize (of which I have yet to determine). The wrapper image may not be of a confection we carry, but it'll be one you've seen before, and you will always get the answer in the following month's issue.
It's cryptic, it's nostalgic, it's mensa-esque. And if you use the link near the bottom of our newsletter, you can spread the good times like a virus to all your acquaintences. Pretty darn cool, if you ask me.
Last month's clue:
The winner of last issue's Candy Alphabet was Samantha Soracco, for guessing Bottle Caps. A number of people got it, but many others were simply stumped. Who knew? Drum roll please - now a little about Bottle Caps...
Peter Paul Halajian was a candy retailer in the New Haven, Connecticut area in the early 20th century. Along with some other Armenian investors, he formed the Peter Paul Candy Manufacturing Company in 1919. The company at first sold various brands of candies, but following sugar and coconut shortages during World War II, they dropped most brands and concentrated their efforts on the Mounds bar. The Almond Joy bar was introduced in 1946 as a replacement for the Dream Bar (created in 1936) that contained diced almonds with the coconut.
During the 1970s, the Peter Paul company used the jingle, "Sometimes you feel like a nut / Sometimes you don't / Peter Paul Almond Joy's got nuts / Mounds don't," to advertise Almond Joy and Mounds in tandem. In 1978, Peter Paul
merged with the Cadbury company. Hershey then purchased the United
States portion of the combined company in 1988. In the 2000s Hershey began producing variations of the product, including a limited edition Pina Colada and Double Chocolate Almond Joy in 2004, a limited edition White Chocolate Key Lime and Milk Chocolate Passion Fruit Almond Joy in 2005 and a limited edition Toasted Coconut Almond Joy in 2006.
Although Peter Paul as a company no longer exists, the name still appears on the wrapper as part of the bars' brand names. |
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Village Candy is an old-time, new-fangled retail shop specializing in customer service, a unique selection of retro, bulk and novelty candy, artisan chocolates, glass-bottled pop and candy-themed gifts.
We are here Tuesday thru Saturday 10 am to 5 pm, but on Wednesdays we stay late until 8! We are closed Sunday and Monday.
Sincerely,
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Doug Alpern, Proprietor
Village Candy
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