Who We Are
The first thing we ever made was licorice, and since 1914, we’ve been doing it ever since. But we couldn’t do any of it without the people who come to work every day to make all sorts of candy for fans to enjoy.
The first thing we ever made was licorice, and since 1914, we’ve been doing it ever since. But we couldn’t do any of it without the people who come to work every day to make all sorts of candy for fans to enjoy.
American Licorice Company founder Martin Kretchmer started out in the chocolate business… unsuccessfully. So, in 1914, he purchased a licorice formula and started American Licorice with his brother and brother-in-law. At first making small batches out of their homes, they began to sell their black licorice candy from a cart in front of department stores in downtown Chicago. The business quickly expanded, and a few years later they purchased a building on the northside of Chicago and started manufacturing there.
For over 5 generations, we’ve worked to put happiness in every bite. We seek to do the same for generations to come. While we do so, we also seek to support the communities where our teams work and live. Check out the video below to see how.
Home to Red Vines, Sour Punch, and Torie & Howard brand candies