Switzer's Licorice
Rare revivals only. Switzer grandsons relaunched the name in the mid-2000s and the brand was still being run in early 2026 — but the twists are sold out or missing at every major retailer. Catch it when it surfaces.
Last verified Nov 7, 2026
St. Louis made Switzer's licorice on the riverfront from 1888 — four generations of Switzers, then Beatrice Foods. When Hershey bought the brand in 1996, the plant was shut within two years.
Filed under: Candy & Gum · the ’70s & earlier
📅 Timeline
- 1888Frederick M. Switzer starts the family candy company in St. Louis.
- 1966Beatrice Foods buys the company; the licorice keeps coming off the riverfront line.
- 1996Hershey acquires the Switzer licorice business.
- 1998The St. Louis plant is shut down — after 110 years, production ends.
- 2005Switzer grandsons Michael and Joe Switzer reintroduce the brand at the All Candy Expo (some accounts say 2004).
- 2026The revived brand is still being run — its leadership gave podcast interviews in February — but the licorice itself is sold out or absent at major retailers.
❓ People also ask
Is Switzer's licorice still made?
Nominally — the founding family's grandsons revived the brand in the mid-2000s and it was still being run in early 2026, but as of late 2026 the twists are sold out or absent at every major retailer. It surfaces in fits and starts.
Why did Switzer's disappear?
Hershey bought the company in 1996 and closed the St. Louis plant within two years — by the family's telling, because Switzer's competed with Twizzlers.
🧾 Sources
- St. Louis Public Radio, 'Candy Men' tells the story of St. Louis' own Switzer's Licorice (2020)
- St. Louis Magazine, Patrick Murphy's new book 'Candy Men' tells the storied history of Switzer's Licorice (2020)
- Baked In podcast, Episode 106: Dan Warner & Jim Clark — Switzer's Licorice (2026)