The only suitable answer would include a place where I can phone, fax,
email, Internet, or otherwise order some of this stuff fresh--either
in retail or wholesale quantities.  At most, a year or so old.  =)

I'm looking for the A&W Root Beer candy that came in boxes similar to
Ferrara Pan's Lemonheads, Boston Baked Beans, Jawbreakers, and
otherwise.  I'm not sure if they were FP.

I have been told perhaps that they were discontinued--a site that had
them catering to bulk candy and movie theatre concession stands does
not carry them anymore (and I really had my eye on the 30 pound
bag)...

The last and only places of purchase I found:

* Retail brownish/creme colored box inside a vending machine at the
now defunct Omnimax Theater inside Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas...

* Vending maching, bulk, 25 cents got a handful, a candy-trolley type
freestanding kiosk in the Boulevard Mall, Las Vegas...

I am NOT looking for root beer barrels, root beer jelly bellys, or
anything but the chewy, A&W, very authentic root beer tasting stuff. 
=)

---

Request for Question Clarification by trailhead-ga on 29 Apr 2002 10:18 PDT

Hi Yes Pinky,

A preliminary search only turned up A&W root beer barrels.  Could you
describe the shape and texture of the candy?  Was it a filled candy?
Can you point to any websites that have the wrapper or description?

Thanks,

Trailhead

---

Request for Question Clarification by missy-ga on 29 Apr 2002 14:26 PDT

I'm intrigued, having a rather vicious sweet tooth :)

Is it like a taffy?  And is is specifically A&W?  

Searches on retro sites are only turning up A&W gum.

Hi there!
     
You asked for places where you can find the "chewy A&W Root Beer
Candy." After doing some research I found two types of A&W Root Beer
Candy: A&W Root Beer Barrels and A&W Root Beer flavoured Jelly Belly
jelly beans. Both are chewy, so I've provided links to where can find
more information on both products, as well as stores where you may
order them. (in bulk quantities, too!) =)

Note that A&W Root Beer Barrels aren't manufactured by A&W, they are
actually licensed by a candy manufacturer named Brach's. Their website
is still being constructed at http://www.brachs.com. On to the good
stuff, then:

ebulkcandy.com offers "A&W Root Beer Barrels" for $2.99 a pound. Their
product listing is below. To order online, just click on the link to
the left hand side of the screen.
http://www.ebulkcandy.com/sys-tmpl/brachs/

Although it is not "A&W Root Beer Barrels," there is a picture of
generic "Root Beer Barrels" at the following address:
http://www.candydirect.com/html/eng/244020-AA.shtml

You can order Jelly Belly beans in A&W Root Beer flavour at the
following website. There is also a picture of the candy itself on that
page.
http://www.candywarehouse.com/jelbeljelbea.html

There is also a black Jelly Belly jelly bean in A&W Root Beer flavour
which can be ordered and seen here:
http://www.candydirect.com/html/eng/244146-AA.shtml


Search Strategy:
     brach's a&w root beer candy
     a&w root beer candy
     root beer barrels

If these were not what you were looking for, please let me know so I
can further help you! Thank you for your question. =)

Best Regards,
blader-ga

---

Request for Answer Clarification by yespinky-ga on 29 Apr 2002 15:09 PDT

I do appreciate your time... however...

I specifically stated in my question:

"I am NOT looking for root beer barrels, root beer jelly bellys, or
anything but the chewy, A&W, very authentic root beer tasting stuff"

and I also stated:

"The only suitable answer would include a place where I can phone,
fax,
email, Internet, or otherwise order some of this stuff"

None of which your answer contains.  Please refrain from answering if
you don't know the answer.  If I ask if my dog is alive, and the
answer is "your neighbor's dog is alive"... doesn't help much... 
Hopefully some of the comments can help...

---

Clarification of Answer by blader-ga on 29 Apr 2002 16:35 PDT

Dear Yespinky:

My profuse apologies, I must have read over your question way too
quickly. I will be working further on this question, but in the mean
time, if you would like a refund, I would completely understand. I
really did screw up utterly and completely. I hope I can make it up to
you by continuing my search.

Completely Embarrased,
blader-ga

---

Clarification of Answer by blader-ga on 29 Apr 2002 16:52 PDT

Dear yespinky:

I'm still working on it, but I've found some "root beer buttons" that
kind of fit the description you gave in the comments below. There's a
picture here:
http://www.peppermintpalace.com/pp2002/viewCandy.php3?count=147

Could you tell me if it kind of looks like what you see there? A
further description would help, too. I must apologize again for that
rather idiotic screw up. Sorry, it's my first day. I still haven't
given up yet though! =)

Best Regards,
blader-ga

---

Clarification of Answer by blader-ga on 29 Apr 2002 17:07 PDT

I seem to have finally made some progress! =)

A listing of candy at masterbrew.com comes up with the following two
items:
AWRB
 Ferrara A & W Root Beer Candy
LEMH
 Ferrara Lemonhead
http://www.masterbrew.com/SnacksCandy.htm

What's great is MasterBrew is actually a vending machine company!
That's right! That's how you've been finding these in the machines.
You can call them at 847 564-3600 for ordering information!

Hope this helps!

Best Regards
blader-ga

---

Clarification of Answer by blader-ga on 06 May 2002 01:16 PDT

asking:

Unforunately, those too are the "Root Beer Barrels" that the asker
didn't want. =\ Those are made by Brach's. The type she wants is made
by Ferrara Pan, and the only place I have found that offers it is that
vending machine company in my clarification.

Cheers,
blader-ga

Q: Where can I find the A&W Root Beer Barrel candies?
A: We can not assist you in this. These are licensed through
Cadbury-Schweppes by Brocks. We recommend checking your local stores
or sweets shops to find them.

http://www.a-wrootbeer.com/contact.htm


"Brocks licensed it"

http://www.cadburyschweppes.com/index.shtml

Try 
://www.google.com/search?q=brocks+OR+Brachs+candies

I am off to lunch ;-)

Michel

I didn't check, but here are some sites that specialize in Bulk and
Hard-To-Find candies:
 
- The Gum Drop Tree: http://www.gumdroptree.com
- Candy You Ate as a Kid: http://www.oldtimecandy.com/bonomo.htm

- This site also has some other candy-related sites.  Scroll down:
http://onlineshopping.about.com/library/weekly/aa040102.htm

"I'm intrigued, having a rather vicious sweet tooth :) 
 
Is it like a taffy?  And is is specifically A&W?   
 
Searches on retro sites are only turning up A&W gum. "

A sweet tooth is what got me here as well.  =)  Oh, and I so remember
the A&W gum that was like Chewels (sp?), and had a liquid center...
Oh... So good...

OKAY, clarifying... These candies... are probably pan candies, in fact
I'm almost positive of it.  There are like a Boston Baked Bean, with
three exceptions.  1) No peanut =), 2) They taste like root beer... A
LOT like root beer... So much like root beer that ... well, anyway...
3) Darker, as I remember them, more brown than red.

So, same size, shape, box, etc. as Boston Baked Beans, but root beer. 
And chewy... chewy as in... Well, imagine if a boston baked bean was a
jelly bean.  Not small, but nice and chewy just as such.

If you can find these, you'll be in heaven, and I doubt you'd tell me
where to find them.  I have been unable to, and would even settle for
some old stuff... sigh... =)

I too am intrigued, being a root beer fan. :) I'd even chip in a
dollar or two towards an, ahem, "suitable" answer. (Hey, Google! Good
idea here!)

If you're willing to buy a lot (like a 12, 20 or even 32 lb box!) you
can go to:

http://www.nbfdcandy.com/
They're "national bulk food distributors" - they supply the vending
industry, but they take VISA, MC, etc.  The item number is 17412 (for
the 12 lb bag) and if you go to the site, you'll find it under Candy,
Misc - bulk wrapped, then click through to the bulk wrapped product
index by clicking on product index.
Product Index page: 
http://www.nbfdcandy.com/products/wrapped/ess0.html

Sterling Candy also carries them, in a 20 lb box.  They're at:
www.sterlingcandy.com - 
Click through to the buyer's Catalog, then to Sterling's Domestic
Candy, Individually Wrapped Domestic Bulk candy - item number 400155.
link to specific item page: 
http://www.sterlingcandy.com/sterlist.html#Markpoint1

Hope this adds a few source choices!

Well, at masterbrew I found "AWRB Ferrara A & W Root Beer Candy" which
indeed IS what I'm looking for.  Hopefully an order placed tomorrow
will give me a clue if it truly still is out there.  The FP (Ferrara
Pan) people informed me that it is discontinued--but they did
manufacture it!...  So, I'll post updates if I find anything!

-Scott

Dear yespinky:

I've been waiting for updates for a while on this question. =) So what
happened with MasterBrew? Any luck?

Best Regards,
blader-ga

Sigh... Unfortunately no... Nobody seems to have these anywhere...
Everyone that still has them listed on a Web site just hasn't had the
time to update their sites.

Ferrara Pan did write back and say they produced them, but not any
longer--with no further information.  Still looking, searching, and
hoping... but the odds of getting a chewy one as opposed to getting a
jawbreaker one grow worse.  =)

Keep the dream alive... grin...

-Scott (yespinky)