The Wax Bottle Candy That Has Been Around Since The Early 1900s
While you may have expected wax bottle candy to be a product of the '80s, '70s, or even '60s, these candies have actually been around much longer. They came about sometime during the Prohibition era, which lasted from 1920 to 1933, though most likely in its later years.
According to Candy Favorites, kerosene and its byproduct paraffin were flooding the markets at this time, prompting people to get creative with how to use them. Glenn Confections., for one, decided to use food-grade paraffin in making candies by 1930. Some of these candies would go on to include wax teeth, wax bottles, and wax lips, arguably the worst non-chocolate candy to give out on Halloween.
We get it, wax teeth and lips are funny, but why bottles? Per Snack History, some people theorize that because of Prohibition, people were drawn to the bottle shape of the candy, as well as the low cost. A single Nik-L-Nips wax bottle would run you only five cents. Of course, times have changed since Glenn Confections first started making the product.
Wax bottle candy is still around today, against all odds
Though not everyone's favorite, wax bottle candies haven't gone out of style nearly a century after their creation. Don't get us wrong, we're not saying we're particularly big fans of eating wax ourselves, but there's obviously something about these candies that have us coming back for more, even if it's just nostalgia.
Regardless, you can still buy wax candies today. These days the candy costs about $1.69 per pack. Tootsie Roll has since taken over production of both Nik-L-Nips and Wack-O-Wax candies and sells them on its website. The wax bottles come in four flavors, including O-So-Orange, Chillin' Cherry, Hello Yellow, and Groovin' Green. (The blue flavor appears to be no longer part of the pack sold here, though you can still find it in other places). Tootsie Roll also sells wax lips, wax fangs, and wax mustaches, which come in different flavors depending on the product.
Of course, you can also find wax candies at just about any grocery store. Just because wax bottle candy is an old-school candy you might've forgotten you can buy, doesn't mean it isn't still around for someone to enjoy.