A hard peppermint candy wrapped in red-and-white stripes with blue-and-starred twist ties, this mint is sure of one thing: It is proud to be American-made. Although the mint itself is plain white, the wrapper gives is a nationalistic feel from the time you see it in a candy dish until the moment you unwrap it and read “Simon Candy Co. Made in USA??? proudly displayed. The mint tastes refreshing, of course. It’s a mild peppermint that doesn’t blow you away or set your mouth on fire, but brings freshness like you’ve recently brushed your teeth at those times when you can’t. I don’t believe these mints have a whole lot on Brach’s more popular Star Brites mints—in fact, they are quite similar. But if you happen to be allergic to red dye, Simon’s Stars & Stripes mints would be the obvious better choice.

Patriotic from head to toe, the mint’s manufacturer is Simon Candy based out of the Amish hills of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. They’ve been around since 1949 when the company introduced its line of decorative chocolates, only to switch to hard candies years later. Any candy company that has been around for several decades can testify that sometimes you need to test the waters and see what works. And Simon Candy has done just that with their timeless hard candies like sour balls, lemon drops, and root beer barrels. They also produce sugar-free lollipops and hard candies as well as fun holiday treats like Santa’s “Coal Candy.??? Their tropical treasures hard candies are flavored like non-alcoholic cocktail drinks, and they have broken into the organic food market with their College Farm line of hard candies. They were actually the first U.S. manufacturer to produce certified organic hard candies.

Whether or not you care to jump on the organic candy bandwagon, Stars & Stripes mints are for every American. Show some patriotic spirit and buy a bag—or snag some from your friend’s candy dish. Let’s face it—everybody needs a mint sometimes.

Tags: Star & Stripes, hard candy, peppermint candy, patriot candy, sweets