Altoids facts for kids
Altoid and tin
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| Invented | 1780 | ||||||
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| Main ingredients | Sugar or sorbitol | ||||||
| Ingredients generally used | Natural and/or artificial flavours | ||||||
| Variations | 406 | ||||||
| 10 kcal (42 kJ) | |||||||
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| Other information | Owner: Mars Wrigley | ||||||
Altoids are a famous brand of strong mints. They come in cool metal tins that are easy to spot. A company in London called Smith & Company first made Altoids way back in the 1780s. Later, another company, Callard & Bowser, took over. Altoids are known for their slogan, "The Original Celebrated Curiously Strong Mints." This means they have a lot of peppermint oil, which makes them very strong! These mints were first made to help with tummy aches.
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Where Altoids Are Made
Altoids used to be made in Bridgend, Wales. This was done by a company called Callard & Bowser-Suchard. Now, they are made in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the United States. This move happened so the mints could be made closer to where most people buy them. For a short time in the 1990s, Altoids were sold under the "Nuttall's" name. This was when Terry's owned Callard and Bowser.
Altoids Flavors and Types
Altoids come in many different flavors and forms. Some types are still made today, while others are no longer available.
Mint Flavors
As of June 2022, you can find Altoids mints in five main flavors. These are peppermint, wintergreen, spearmint, cinnamon, and strawberry. There are also "Sugar-Free Smalls." These are tiny square mints. They are sweetened with sorbitol and sucralose. You can find them in peppermint, wintergreen, and cinnamon flavors.
In 2007, Altoids made mints dipped in dark chocolate. These came in peppermint, cinnamon, and ginger flavors. In 2008, a crème de menthe chocolate-dipped mint was added. However, all the chocolate-dipped mints were stopped in 2010. Other flavors that are no longer made include liquorice, cool honey, and ginger (not chocolate-dipped). Also, crème de menthe (not chocolate-dipped) is no longer available. Around 2011, Altoids changed their wintergreen mints. They added blue food coloring to them. Most Altoid mints, except for the "sugar-free smalls," contain gelatin.
Sour Candies
Altoids also made sour hard candies. They came in round tins and were launched in 2001. These sour candies were stopped in 2010 because not enough people bought them. The flavors included raspberry, citrus, apple, tangerine, and mango. A special passion fruit sour candy was released around Valentine's Day in 2005. These came in a larger tin than the regular sour candies.
In 2024, the Altoids Sours made a comeback! They are now called Retro Sours. Iconic Candy makes these new candies. They feature flavors like citrus, tangerine, and mango. Even though the original company does not make them, people are excited. They love the feeling of nostalgia from these candies.
Chewing Gum
Altoids also had sugar-free chewing gum. It was first made in 2003 in the United States. The gum came in peppermint, cinnamon, spearmint, and wintergreen flavors. There were also two sour gum flavors: cherry and apple. This gum has not been sold in US stores since January 2010. It has now been discontinued.
Breath Strips
In 2003, Altoids introduced breath strips. They came in peppermint and cinnamon flavors. These strips were also discontinued.
Altoids Arctic Mints
In 2014, another product called Eclipse mints was rebranded. These mints, also from Wrigley, became Altoids Arctic. The tin stayed the same, but the label changed. Altoids Arctic mints came in peppermint, wintergreen, and strawberry. This was fewer flavors than Eclipse used to offer. Each tin holds about 50 mints.
Altoids Tins: More Than Just Mints
The special metal tins that Altoids mints come in are very popular. People often reuse them for many different things. For a long time, they have been used to hold small household items. These include paper clips, coins, or sewing supplies. Many people even make "Altoids Wallets" by decorating the inside of the tins.
Outdoor lovers also use Altoids tins a lot. They turn them into small first-aid kits or mini survival kits. These kits are sometimes called Bug-Out Altoids Tins, or BOATs.
The tins are also great for electronics projects. For example, the BeagleBone computer is shaped to fit perfectly inside an Altoids tin. The Membership Card is a small computer kit. It is designed to fit into an Altoids tin. Also, CMoy pocket headphone amplifiers often use these tins as their outer case. The mintyPi is a kit that uses an Altoids tin. It helps create a portable retro gaming machine.
Altoids Award for Artists
In 2007, Altoids started a special award. It was announced at the opening of The New Museum of Contemporary Art. This award, called the Altoids Award, gives cash prizes to four artists from across the US. Each artist receives $25,000. Their artwork is then shown at the museum. Famous artists like Paul McCarthy, Cindy Sherman, and Rirkrit Tiravanija chose the first winners.
See also
In Spanish: Altoids para niños
