The Thomas Adams gum story is pretty interesting. The Adams nostalgic line is still made sporadically (in Colombia), in fact, the gums are back on store shelves presently (and when the inventory is gone, it’s pretty much gone until they make more in a year or two). Though the Clark’s Gum Company is only a vague shadow of what it used to be, Adams is the oldest gum company and some of the classic flavors are still produced today now that it’s part of the Cadbury Adams company. Here’s an old commercial from Teaberry’s heyday in the 60s called the Teaberry Shuffle performed by Herb Alpert. Like all the gums profiled in this review, Teaberry is still made with sugar and no other sweeteners. (Yes, sometimes I like to roll up my sticks.)Įven so, I’ve never felt that gum needs to be “fresh” in order to be enjoyed, though sometimes the flavor isn’t quite a vibrant. Second, they’re often stale & crispy instead of soft & pliable. The pieces, first of all, seem a bit thinner than I remember them. The biggest issue I’ve had with purchasing Teaberry gum in the past 10 years or so, besides it being rather difficult to find is freshness. The flavor lasts for a while as well, long after the sugar is gone. The wintergreen flavor is mellow, not too much like some sort of analgesic balm or Pepto Bismol. Though Tendermint is no longer produced, Teaberry is still available. They were best known for two flavors: Teaberry and Tendermint. In 1921 the gum side of the business (which was made in a separate factory anyway) was spun off into its own company: Clark Brothers Chewing Gum Company (later shortened to Clark Gum Company). At one point the company was making 150 different kinds of confections.

Clark Company used to be a rather large & diverse candy manufacturer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which made both candy bars and gums starting in 1886.

Teaberry is a regional name for wintergreen (also known as Canada tea, which may explain the name of Canada mints which are also wintergreen flavored). For your chewing enjoyment I have a few classic gums: Black Jack, Clove and Beemans plus Clark’s Teaberry.įirst is my favorite gum of all time: Clark’s Teaberry. Some of the earliest varieties, launched in the late 1800s still survive today in pretty much the same format. There are at least a half a dozen formats: sticks, gumballs, nuggets, chicklets, tape & goo filled pieces and the flavors are all over the map with the general array of mints & fruits but now there are sour gums, exotic flavors and even more combinations & special ingredients than ever.Ĭhewing gum started out, early on, as a simple little stick of chicle base with sugar and a little flavoring. No longer is it just a world of soothing mint & peppy cinnamon.

What is black jack chewing gum