|
|
|
Greetings fellow candy lover!
This month's issue is now four days late - shame on me! I was just about to send our regular Candy-gram, bulging with the normal assortment of new goodies plus this year's Holiday Gift Guide. But it was just too big. So I changed course (on December 1) and decided to forgo the normal letter. I may decide to send it as a separate spam slice, or maybe I'll just hang on to it until January.
So, once again we've allayed all the gift-buying worries gnawing at you - chicken soup for the soul, if you will (one cliche I've always hated but will use here nonetheless). Here in all its glory is our second annual "This-is-what-they're-getting-and-that's-that" Guide. AND THEY'LL LOVE YOU FOR IT!
But first I must satisfy our legion of puzzle solvers...
|
|
Candy Alphabet Ate
 Since no one guessed last month's clue, I thought I'd treat you to an easier "H." Trying to be hospitable yet humorous, I am happy to hit (but not hurt) you with another hard one with historical import that hopefully won't hobble you or leave you hamstrung.
Last Month's Clue
 What's up with yinz? Last month's clue may have been a tad difficult, but G, no one got it (sorry for that)! Surprisingly, there is not a whole lot of history available on this little nostalgic gem (pictured at right) from my candy-centric childhood. I have not been able to find when it was first introduced (tell me if you know), but I can give you a little of my own recollection. If I'm not mistaken, the bag had a little image of a miner - it was (and is) a drawstring burlap sack filled with gold-colored bubblegum nuggets that taste (and tasted) a little like Juicy Fruit. I'm certain they used to be loose in the burlap - now they're in a plastic baggie inside the burlap. There was something about mimicking a 49er and rifling through your little bag of gold that made it an irresistible purchase for a candyman-to-be.
|
Retro Gift Boxes
 Village Candy is now able to put a check mark next to all those names on your list that love candy and are old enough to confuse the Pythagorian Theorem with the Grecian Formula. These beautifully packed boxes, which come in two convenient sizes (Big and Really Big) alleviate your having to figure out what candies made memories in the 50s/60s/70s, how to decoratively arrange them, and what to put them in.
We can also put together a gift box or basket customized to your every whim. Let us design one for whomever you have in mind - the chocolate lover (whether dark, milk, exotic bars, nuts, coconut or whatever), the gummi aficionado, or anyone you can dream up. Let's discuss!
Accessories Make the Person
At Least if They're Candy-fied
 These plush Candy Carry-alls are perfect for carrying ferrying around that new laptop (hint), school books (hint - not), clothes (maybe), candy (HINT), or anything else you'd stuff in a backpack or bag. The shoulder strap makes it easy to lug them around, and we have them in nine candy styles. And don't forget our overwhelming selection of candy pillows in different sizes, change purse keychains, pencil bags, journal sets and lip balms.
Pack Them a Chocolate Collection
Our Artisans are in Flux
I know what that means and will explain, but it also sounds chic-ly esoteric. We've been honing our mix of renowned chocolate makers (most of which are difficult to find elsewhere), and when we taste ones that rise above the rest, we figure you'll agree. I, your humble narrator, vow that none of our bars are anything less than fabu. Our prestigious (and tongue-tasty) chocolatiers include Askinosie, Cafe Tasse, Chuao, Vosges and Taza (not to mention three great purveyors of hot chocolate packs but, hah, I just did), and now we're proud to embrace two more exceptional artisans.
3400 Phinney
Named for the address of the factory where Theo Chocolate makers work
their magic, these organic, Fair Trade Certified™ milk and dark
chocolate bars come in wonderfully innovative flavors (and have gorgeously illustrated wrappers). Theo takes its
premium quality, delectable chocolate and combines it with some bold
and traditional ingredients (such as Fig & Fennel) to conjure the 3400 Phinney fantasy flavor
assortment. The chocolate for this bar line is made with organic, Fair
Trade certified™ cocoa beans from Central America. The dark chocolate
has a minimum 65% cacao content; the milk chocolate has a minimum 40%
cacao content.
E. Guittard
 The Guittard Chocolate Company produces superior quality chocolate using original formulas and traditional French methods, and along with retail delights, supplies wholesale customers like See's Candies, Kellogg's and Baskin-Robbins, as well as chocolatiers Recchiuti Confections and Garrison Confections. The company has been family-owned for more than four generations, and was started by Étienne Guittard, who emigrated from Lyon, France, during the California Gold Rush.
Village Candy's E. Guittard Collection includes the Chucuri from northwest Colombia, the Sur del Lago from western Venezuela, and the Ambanja from Madagascar.
The Trouble with Tribbles
 Who doesn't remember this legendary Star Trek Episode, with a special appearance by Furby's great uncle? Well the original Trek crew has returned in a Limited Edition Pez box (you know how people get shorter as they age), and we've got'em, along with Limited Edition Disney and Batman collections (and about ten other regularly issued series). If your gift target is a Pez collector or just a Pez eater, we have a character for you. And don't forget to check out our wide assortment of Giant Pez. Believe it or not, they tower about a foot tall, and most make noise or play music. And instead of spitting out the same measly pez as the normal ones, they shoot out an entire pack! Characters include Steelers guy (not to be confused with Steely McBeam), Charlie Brown, Joe Cool, Star Wars, Simpsons, Cinderella, Snow White, Spiderman, Shrek, Hello Kitty, Betty Boop, Pooh and more.
Snack Dispensers
 We have a plethora of snack dispensers. So, you ask, why do you call them snack dispensers instead of gumball machines? Well, you linguistic lightweight! Snack dispensers can hold a variety of items, such as Skittles, M&Ms, Jelly Bellys, Reese's Pieces, Raisinets or quail eggs (ha!). We have a great selection, along with all the contents you'll ever need.
Hershey's Retro Chocolate Bars
 This is one of the coolest things Hershey has done in quite some time. The chocolate king rewrapped four of its original bars in nostalgic packaging and put twenty in a nifty old-time box, perfect for gifting. Included are five each of the Hershey Chocolate Bar and Chocolate with Almonds, six Reese's Cups and four Mr. Goodbars. |
Six Pack Abs(olutely)
 As we are fond of doing, we've tried to make your (gift-giving) life easier. We've acquired a stash of bottled pops from good times gone by and dusted off the cobwebs: 7up, Nehi Peach, Big Red, A&W Root Beer, RC Cola, and Sun Drop. Let me emphasize - the pop brands are from the past, not the actual pops.
We've gathered them up in a natural-looking
unbranded 6-pack carrier, making the entire neat package suitable for
chugging, or bringing smiles to the faces of those who find it under a tree.
So what are these sodey pops you've never heard of and why are they "nostalgic?" Well, let's do a little "educatin'."
7Up was created in St. Louis in 1929. C. L. Grigg came up with the formula for a lemon-lime soft drink containing lithium citrate, a mood-stabilizing drug, and he marketed it as a hangover cure. Originally named "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda," it was launched two weeks before the Wall Street Crash. The product's name was soon changed to 7Up (wonder y?), and lithium citrate was dropped in 1950 (y-o-y?).
Some popular stories on how 7up got its name?
- Grigg named the soft drink after seeing a cattle brand with the number 7 and the letter U.
- The drink was formulated with seven flavors plus the bubbles from the drink's carbonation (the bubbles go up).
- The original bottle contained seven ounces.
- Grigg came up with the name while playing dice.
- The company had previously failed six times, hence the name "7Up."
- Before the formula change in 2006, 7Up included seven ingredients - the "Up" might refer to the original inclusion of lithium citrate.
- Some people mistakenly believe that its pH is 7.0 and therefore neutral.
- An MIT professor swears that the name is derived from the atomic mass of Lithium, 7.
RC Cola (or Royal Crown) was developed in 1905 by pharmacist C. A. Hatcher. It was originally called Chero-Cola, and they also produced RC Ginger Ale, RC Strawberry and RC Root Beer before finally settling on RC Cola in 1934.
In 1925, Chero-Cola, the company, changed its name to "Nehi Corporation" (pronounced "knee high") after Nehi fruit-flavored sodas became popular. Nehi originally offered peach, along with root beer, orange, grape and other fruit flavors.
Big Red was created by G. C. Thomsen and R.H. Roark in Waco, Texas in 1937. It was originally known as "Sun Tang Red Cream Soda," and is the original "red cream soda." The name was changed to "Big Red" in the late 50s by Harold Jansing, then president of the San Antonio bottling plant, after hearing a golf caddy refer to the soda by that name. The drink is highly popular in the Southern United States and is well known for its unique taste and red color. This taste, though often thought to be bubble gum, is created by mixing orange and lemon oils with the traditional vanilla used in other cream sodas. Big Red was the sixth-highest selling soft drink brand in the U.S. in 2002 through 2004.
A&W began in 1919 in Lodi, California, when Roy Allen partnered with Frank Wright to help him with the root beer business he started. They branded their product A&W Root Beer. Two years later, Allen bought out Wright and began franchising his product. By 1960, A&W-branded restaurants had 2000 stores.
Sun Drop, a citrus-flavored soda with orange juice and pulp, was developed in St. Louis in 1949 by soft-drink salesman Charles Lazier. In the 50s and 60s Sun Drop was sometimes produced under names such as "Sun Drop Golden Cola" or "Golden Girl Cola." Sun Drop has maintained extraordinary popularity in the rural/suburban area surrounding St. Louis.
OK, enough already. We've tried to capture some unique ideas for those that are hard to satisfy (and the easy ones too). And we've just covered the snowflake on the tip of the iceberg. C'mon in and let us show you our tons of stocking stuffers, candies, gifts, licorice, M&Ms (21 colors), and other assorted surprises. After all, screw the clothes and the things they don't need or want. No one frowns when receiving candy and that's a fact. And if all else fails, Village Candy Cash Cards are a sure pleaser.
|
|
|
|
|
Village Candy is an old-time, new-fangled retail shop specializing in customer service, a unique selection of 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 Fridays we stay late until 8! We are closed Sunday and Monday.
Sincerely,
|
Doug Alpern, Proprietor
Village Candy
|
|
|
