Jolly Rancher

What it is

Hard, glassy, intensely fruity candies.

The story

• 1949: first made by Bill and Dorothy Harmsen, Golden, Colorado.
• 1966: Beatrice Foods takes over.
• 1983: Leaf takes over.
• 1996: Hershey takes over.

Fun facts

• The first flavors were watermelon, apple and fire stix.
• The name was meant to sound like a friendly Western company.
• It began with ice cream; a five-cent cinnamon taffy stick led it into hard candy.

Is Jolly Rancher still made?

Yes. Jolly Rancher is still made, by The Hershey Company. Look for it at candy shops that stock old-fashioned candy, or search for Jolly Rancher on Amazon.

If you like Jolly Rancher

• Smarties (1949): Rolls of small, chalky, tangy tablets in six pastel colors.
• Atomic Fireball (1954): A big, hard, fiery cinnamon jawbreaker.
• Lemonhead (1962): Round lemon candy with a sweet coating, a sour layer and a hard center.
• SweeTarts (1962): Sweet and sour pressed tablets.

See every candy from the 1940s or all hard and tangy candy.