There was once a saying that a diamond is a girl’s best friend but honestly I think it should be changed to chocolate is a girl’s best friend. I’ve rarely come across a woman that didn’t love chocolate and obviously a lot men will eat pretty much anything. But do you know which chocolate company makes your favorite candy bar? Obviously the Hershey Bar is made by Hershey, the Nestle Crunch by Nestle and Mars Bar is made by Mars. But what about the rest of the different candy bars?
3 Musketeers
The 3 Musketeers bars was created by the Mars company in 1932. Originally the 3 Musketeers got its name because there were three candy bars in one package. There was a vanilla candy bar, a chocolate candy bar and a strawberry candy bar. But Mars decided to keep the 3 Musketeers name after they changed it to one candy bar.
5th Avenue
The 5th Avenue was introduced in 1936 by Hershey’s. The 5th Avenue is a candy bar with peanut butter and was Hershey’s answer to the Butterfinger. At one point in time the 5th Avenue had walnuts to make it different from the Butterfinger but Hershey’s removed the walnuts in 1986.
Almond Joy
The Almond Joy is now produced by Hershey’s but was originally made by PeterPaul Candy Manufacturing Company. Almond Joy is the sister candy bar of the Mounds bar that was also created by the Peter Paul company and is now produced by Hershey’s.
Baby Ruth
The Baby Ruth is one of the few candy bars from the Nestle brand. Baby Ruth was originally created by the Curtiss Candy Company and as later made by Nabsico but is now manufactured by Nestle.
Butterfinger
The Curtiss Candy Company also created and manufactured the Butterfinger. Like the Baby Ruth, the Butterfinger is now manufactured by the Nestle company. The popularity of the Butterfinger and Baby Ruth mainly came from a publicity stunt. Free Butterfingers and Baby Ruths were dropped from airplanes in several cities.
Goo Goo Cluster
The Goo Goo Cluster is not one of the most popular candy bars but I must include it because it is a big hit in my household. Who makes Goo Goo Clusters? Nestle? Hershey’s? Mars? Actually none of them make the Goo Goo Cluster. This cluster of goo goo-ness is manufactured by the Standard Candy Company. The Goo Goo Cluster was the first candy bar to combine different kinds of candy, everything else at the time was just plain chocolate.
Heath Bar
The Heath Bar is manufactured by Hershey’s and is the toffee based candy fort the Hershey’s company.
Junior Mints
The Junior Mints are my movie theater candy of choice. Junior Mints were introduced in 1949 and were originally made by the same company that made the Sugar Babies. Junior Mints are now produced by Tootsie Roll Industries.
Kit Kat
The Kit Kat candy bar is a unique situation. The Kit Kat is produced worldwide by Nestle everywhere except for the USA. In the USA the Kit Kat is produced by Hershey’s.
M&M;’s
Technically I guess M&M;’s aren’t a candy bar but they had to be included on this list. M&M;’s are produced by Mars. When E.T. was being made they actually went to Mars and asked for M&M;’s to be in the movie. Mars refused and Reese’s Pieces were used instead.
Milky Way
The Milky Way is another candy bar that belongs to Mars. Unlike many of the candy bars that were bought from other companies the Milky Way was actually created by Frank C. Mars. Frank’s inspiration for the Milky Way was that he wanted to make a candy bar that tasted like a chocolate-malt milkshake.
Mounds
Mounds is a Hershey’s product and as I mentioned before it is the sister candy of the Almond Joy. The Mounds bar and the Almond Joy both have a coconut center but Almond Joys have nuts, Mounds don’t.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
The Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are obviously made by Reese’s but in 1963 Reese’s merged with Hershey’s so Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are now a Hershey’s product.
Snickers
The Snickers is another Mars Incorporated creation. Personally I don’t like the Snickers but apparently everybody else does. The Snickers bar is the best selling chocolate bar of all time. The Snickers bar rakes in $2 billion a year.
Twix
Compared to some of the other candy bars on this list the Twix is actually pretty young. The Twix was not produced until 196 but was not introduced in the United States until 1979. The Twix has only been in this country one year longer than I have.
