A nostalgic favorite is coming back — well, sort of.
On Aug. 30, Iconic Candy, a company that specializes in reviving vintage candies, announced it would be releasing a new candy called Retro Sours in three flavors: citrus, tangerine and mango.
The candy is reminiscent of — but not the same as — the now-defunct Altoids Sours, a candy that’s been deeply missed by the internet at large since it was discontinued in 2010.
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Iconic Candy’s Retro Sours are currently stocked at It’Sugar locations and will be available within the next month at Cracker Barrel.
“The Retro Sours are available across all IT’SUGAR stores along with their large retro candy assortment, which will take you back to the treats you had at your Grandma’s house,” Justin Clinger, assistant VP of creative and marketing for It’Sugar tells TODAY.com over email.
Clinger adds that his brand’s stores also carry other retro candies such as Ouch! Bubble Gum, Cry Baby Wax Soda Bottles and Strawberry Crème Savers, which Iconic Candy also brought back to life.
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Food-focused Instagram account Snackolator wrote in an Instagram post that fans have been asking “nonstop” for the return of Altoids Sours, and they’re right. In the 14 years since the candy left store shelves, folks have reminisced online, pleading for the candy to come.
bout to risk it all pic.twitter.com/q78rqrakvS
— concepts of a ben (@limitlessjest) December 10, 2019
Some have even attempted to sell the discontinued candy for thousands of dollars on resale sites like eBay. A 2019 Change.org petition titled, “Bring Back Altoids Mango Sours” has more than 1,000 signatures — a search result on the site shows there are 34 petitions dedicated to the candy’s return.
This past July, Chrissy Teigen shared a video of herself opening a pack of Altoids Sours that expired in 2007. In the Instagram post, she said a fan gifted her the candy. Unfortunately for the model, the contents were a gooey mess. (Don’t eat expired candy, folks.)
A representative from Iconic Candy tells TODAY.com that Retro Sours is neither connected with the manufacturer of Altoids Sours nor its owner Mars Wrigley.
“At Mars Wrigley, consumer obsession is part of our DNA,” a company representative tells TODAY.com over email. “We are constantly innovating and looking for ways to inspire moments of everyday happiness for the next generation of snackers, and to meet the preferences and expectations of consumers that have been fans of ours for years.”
The Mars Wrigley rep adds that the company won’t be bringing back Altoids Sours at this time and that Retro Sours was not created with Mars involvement. “Mars Wrigley cannot confirm the quality, taste, packaging, or distribution model for this product,” they say.
The public’s reaction to the debut of Retro Sours has been largely positive, with folks taking to multiple social media platforms to express their joy: “I need whole boxes,” wrote one Instagram user.
It’s clear that many of the excited fans believe this product marks the return of their favorite sour sucker. But the Iconic Candy representative tells TODAY.com that its version doesn’t use the same recipe as Altoids Sours did.
“I NEVER THOUGHT I’D LIVE TO SEE THE DAY!!!😍😍😍,” someone commented on Instagram.
“Altoids Sours coming back is proof the world is healing,” another fan wrote on X, with someone else saying, “THIS IS NOT A DRILL I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”
“THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE I STARTED HYPERVENTILATING,” wrote one X user. Another said they would be “Spending all my rent money on Altoid sours because I have abandonment issues from last time.”
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
