Doscher's Candies in an American manufacturer of candy, the oldest manufacturer of candy canes in the country, and the oldest continually operating candy company in America. In 1871, Claus Doescher manufactured the first handcrafted candy cane in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company is also widely known for its taffy product, the French Chew, which was introduced in 1896.
History
In 1871, immigrant brothers Claus, John and Heinrich Doescher left their uncle's Cincinnati, Ohio, confectionery to start their own firm there, on Fifth Street between Broadway and Sycamore, forming the Doscher Brothers candy company. In that year Claus made their first candy canes. Their manufacturing process involved using real peppermint oil, cooking small batches in copper kettles, and hand-working to roll, knead, stripe, and hook the canes. Doscher Brothers also manufactured a caramel popcorn they called Popcorn Fritters. Doscher Bro's sold this popcorn to the Cincinnati Redlegs, making them one of the first concessioners in American baseball. In 1896, the Doschers capitalized on the Turkish taffy craze that was erupting in France and developed their recipe for the French Chew, their own taffy product which is still made today. Before being made into a more commercial or traditional bar form, French Chew was sold in large pieces that were broken up in candy stores and sold by the pound, leading to the French Chew's advertising slogan, "Freeze It, Crack It, Smack It." John Doscher took over the company after Claus's death in 1883 and Claus's sons, Harry and John, became partners in the business shortly thereafter. Between 1932 and 1941, all three of the Doscher men passed away and Harry's wife, Elsie Doscher, who would have a finance degree from the University of Cincinnati, took over the company and kept the business alive through the Great Depression. She later passed the company to her son Harry II in 1953. He ran the business until the 1990s, at which time his son, Harry III, joined the business. In 2004, Greg Clark purchased Doscher's and in 2015 Chip Nielsen, along with his wife, and children, purchased the majority of the business. In 2018, Doscher's bought Candy Buttons following the bankruptcy of Necco. In February 2019, Doscher's acquired Béquet Confections, a gourmet caramel maker out of Bozeman, MT.
